Trees in the yard are frequently moved or relocated by landowners. The trees may have been too dense, or they may be about to outgrow their location. When it comes to replanting, size matters a lot. The larger the tree, the more difficult it is to transplant. If you have a little tree growing away from your home, driveway, or patio, imagine it at full size and determine now whether it needs to go somewhere else in the future. However, it would be best to begin your endeavor much earlier; you should trim the roots a few months before a transplant for the tree to survive in the new environment. Please continue reading to learn how to prune and relocate your tree and make sure it thrives in its new environment.
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Prune The Base
The process of relocating a tree begins months before you can transplant it with root pruning. This action fosters the creation of new root systems (which absorb moisture and minerals) closer to the tree’s base, assisting the tree in adapting to its new environment.
Follow the procedures below to prepare ahead and prepare the tree before chopping any roots.
Before Pruning, Feed The Tree
Water the tree thoroughly the day before you want to prune it. Watering ensures that the soil remains adhered to the roots and dirt is easier to dig into before trimming the stems; water the region around the grown root system for at least 24 hours. Apply water gently using a drip irrigation system or a hose with a low-flow setting.
Determine How Much Of The Root System You Should Prune
Determine how much of your tree’s root ball you want to prune the collection of roots at the base. As a general matter, the root ball should be around one foot in size for every inch of tree thickness. So, if the trunk is two inches thick, strive for a two-foot root ball.
Dig Around The Root Ball In A Hole
Dig a thin trench around the root system (approximately two feet deep and one foot wide). Step on the digger to press the sharp point into the root by holding it straight and parallel to the ground. Experienced arborists or landscapers may need to dig a deeper trench for larger, more mature trees.
Replace The Dirt Around The Roots That You Clipped
Replace the dug-up dirt in the trench, carefully laying the subsoil (from further within the trench) beneath the topsoil. If you do not move the tree until the winter, add a two to three-inch layer of compost on the soil surface above the root system to assist in retaining water and reduce freezing damage.
Locate An Appropriate New Location
Cautiously select a new spot. Ensure the new location has enough space for the tree to develop suitable soil, light, and water. Consider the tree’s matured size in terms of canopy development above ground and root growth.
Before Transplantation, Water The Tree
If you want to transfer a tree in the fall, maintain the healthy roots by watering as needed throughout the midsummer dry spells. Tree branches cut in the fall for a spring move may require more watering. Then, a day before transplantation, moisten the tree’s soil. It’s simpler to dig in moist soil, and it helps to keep the root system together. Ensure that the dirt is wet around the trench’s circumference.
In The New Position, Dig A Hole
Dig a hole three times the width of the root ball, but at the same depth, in the new position to allow the root hairs to spread out. If the hole is dug too deep, the roots may rot.
Separate the topsoil from the subsoil to save the dug-up dirt. Water the hole thoroughly to add water to the soil, which will aid in keeping the tap root together.
Dig Around The Trunk Of The Tree
Clean the topsoil around the tree’s trunk and roots with a shovel. Then, about six inches beyond the clipped roots, start digging around the tree with a sharp, flat shovel and drilling several inches beyond the trench. This guarantees that most (if not all) of the new root systems will assist the tree in adjusting to its new location.
Dig Around The Base Of The Root Ball
After excavating across the tree’s perimeter:
- Begin digging beneath it to sever the tree’s roots.
- Continue to put the root ball’s diameter intact.
- If the diameter of a tree trunk is two inches, dig a little or more than two feet deep to collect the entire root ball.
Carefully rotating the root ball inside the hole can assist in determining if any roots that were previously undetected are still attached. Clean any loose soil from all over the root ball with care.
Lift The Tree Out Using a Burlap
Put a sheet of organic burlap in the gap once the tree is entirely free of the earth. Coax the tree branches over it. It may be necessary to gently move more giant root balls out of the hole and onto the burlap. Make sure the burlap completely covers the taproot.
To avoid breaking the tree, lift it from the ground using the burlap instead of the trunk. If you have other people on hand, it will be easier to enclose the tree branches in the burlap and raise the tree from the soil.
Insert The Tree Into The Newly Created Hole
Place the tree in the new hole, ensuring the trunk’s base is level only with the earth. The color shift in the tree head and trunk area often indicates the previous location’s soil level. This could be helpful for guidance if the tree was strong and not planted too deep or high.
Fill In The Gaps In The Dirt
Fill the earth all around the tree with the soil from the dug hole, ensuring that the subsoil is at the base and the topsoil is on top. As you go, carefully push the reducing environment. Water carefully all the way to the hole site’s edges.
Conclusion
Injecting a tree might give it new life, but it can also put the tree under stress. You may aid a tree through the change with practice and perseverance if you fulfill all processes before, during, and after transplantation. Plan things in advance, know your tree, research about it, and check the weather conditions, the soil, and the care it needs to survive before transplanting. Prune your trees several months before the transplant; It is the most critical step.
