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Guidelines for Transplanting Trees

Transplanting trees is sometimes a necessary process, but it is fraught with difficulties even in the best situation. Understanding how to transplant trees is a necessary step in building the perfect landscaping environment.

One of the first things you must consider before you transplant a tree is whether or not you intend to move an established plant. If you do intend to move a plant that is established, you should plan at least a year in advance. Be sure to use a sharp edged shovel to sever the roots around the plant at least one year before you intend to start the process. You can do this by digging a cavity around the plant at least six feet from the center of the trunk. Fill it with moss. This will help the tree to prepare for the transplant process. A few weeks before the actual transplant, the tree needs to be carefully pruned. Just before the transplant actually occurs, you need to dig a second cavity within twelve inches from the trunk of the tree. This should help you move the roots out of the ground. Pick the plant up (this might be easiest if you use something like a piece of wood for a bit of leverage), and set it on a material like burlap. Wrap the material around the root system, and slide the tree to a protected area. Let it sit for at least two weeks, but water it often. At this point, you can follow the general instructions for planting a tree as listed below.

If you intend to buy a tree, you are still transplanting a tree. You simply don’t have to bother with the original excavation process yourself. Any tree that you purchase in a nursery setting has been specially created for transplantation, using practices that researchers have shown to improve transplant success. The key to the best possible transplantation in this situation is to ensure that you are only choosing trees that are ready to be transplanted. Choosing trees that are too young or are otherwise in poor health only makes for a bad idea and assured failure. The younger the plant you choose, the better transplant success you are likely to have, so be sure to chat with the nursery owner about the age of the tree you are about to purchase.

Once you have chosen a plant for transplant, you are ready to follow these steps for a perfect tree transplant. First, decide where you will place your tree. Keep in mind that different plants require different kinds of soil. Some grow well in dense soils. Others need a soil consistency with more air pockets to live well. Do some reading about the kind of tree you intend to transplant, and make sure the soil in the transplant area is prepared for that kind of life. Moreover, make sure that you have enough soil in the chosen area to support a full sized tree. Remember that trees need quite a bit of space to spread their roots out, depending on the species, so choosing the perfect area is essential.

When you’ve chosen the perfect site, you also need to think about the season you intend to transplant the tree. This, again, depends on the plant species. For most trees, the perfect season is late summer or early fall, but extensive reading may be required to determine the exact requirements of your tree. When you dig the new hole for your tree, make sure it is at least two times larger than the ball of roots on the bottom of the tree. Be sure to water the hole before you add the tree, and give the tree as much depth as it had in its previous location.

If you have just purchased the tree, the sales specialist at your nursery should be able to give you this information. Once you’ve got the tree planted, water enough to keep the soil moist, but not so much as to drown the tree. Mulching around the tree, and adding a bit of fertilizer once a year is a good idea. Remember never to move a tree that is too large.

Pay close attention to these tips, and you, too, can have a successful tree transplant.