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Transplanting Pine Trees

14 years ago

I have two pine trees that my husband wants gone. I'd prefer to dig them up and transplant them if possible. They are between 7 and 8' tall. Is it possible to move them this time of year? Anything I should be extra aware of?

I posted a picture -

http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/jj163/sixtwenty4x4/?action=view&current=trees.jpg

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Comments (8)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
are you an amazon??? ... lol

if so.. it might be childs play ...

but for a regular peep ... you are talking a 3 to 4 foot root ball.. weighing up to a couple hundred pounds ... hoiking it across the property .... etc ...

plus the digging around those old tree stumps is not going to be easy ...

you should be able to get a couple half that size for not very much money ... at that point.. its the old cost benefit ratio ..

are you willing to do 6 to 8 hours of intense heavy manual labor for $20 to $40 bucks worth of tree??? ..

unless of course.. heavy machinery ... or beer swilling friends are available.. but it might still cost you that much in beer.. lol ...

for whats it worth.. with non-descript plain old green pine trees.. i would cut them at ground level.. and go buy a couple others ... and plant them in 20 minutes.. without the disc herniation .... and drink the beer myself ....

you may proceed with whatever plan you wish... good luck

ken
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
My husband is having a 'microdiscectomy' in a few days. He knows about doing stuff like this when there are better options. Just ask him!
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super.. glad you appreciated it .. now.. lets talk about your sanity ... a 6 foot tree.. will need a 3 foot ball of soil ... depending on your soil.. i estimate.. 200 to 500 pounds.. is this within you capability??? an hour to dig the new hole.... 3 to 5 hours to properly dig the tree... then figure out how to lift it out of the hole.. then drag it over to the new hole.. and figure out how to get it in there and straight.. and then two hours to back fill and properly water it ... and then another hour to move all the soil back to the old hole and fill it in ... with a 50 to 75% chance of success for a neophyte ... I WOULD chainsaw it.. and buy another before i would put that kind of back breaking labor into a plain old green pine ... you should be able to get a very manageable 3 footer for about 50 bucks.. and and hour to dig a hole for it.. exercise is exercise.. BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR TIME WORTH???? ARE YOU NUTS???? lol ... all that said.. as soon as the ground thaws.. you can start digging..... giving your transplant 6 to 8 weeks before temps begin to rise... in my z5.. i target 4/1 to about 4/15 for best success ... up to 5/1 with some tlc ... you should be barely a week ahead of me in z6 whatever decision you make is fine with me.. i just wouldnt work that hard for a plain old pine.. good luck ken ps: you will note in the pix.. i work with one to 2 foot trees.. and i still invest 3 to 4 hours to do the job.. without stopping to take pix ....
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Relax. As soon as you said "on the inside of the tree", that made it clear that you have nothing to worry about. Evergreens like pines keep their needles for several years, but eventually they drop their old needles just like deciduous trees drop their leaves each fall. You usually don't notice needle-drop on spruce because they hold onto needles for something like 5 years, so the needles that are going to be lost in late summer/fall are deep in the canopy and won't be noticed. But most pines hold onto their needles for only several years, plus their canopy is fairly open to begin with so what is going on inside the canopy is more visible, and every year from mid-August until mid-September, when the old pine needles are yellowing and dropping, people become worried about their pines. Relax, it's normal and to be expected, and it will happen every year around this time.
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
They can be moved, just not til next November-December and not without a few strapping young men at your beck and call.

Contra Ken, you're looking at an hour-ish for the two holes, hour each for digging properly the two rootballs, hour for...erm...'hoiking' both, hour for watering, backfilling, watering both. 5 hours. As opposed to hour+ to purchase and transport and two hours for work for new trees, plus working to earn money for material and gas (plus the carbon footprint of transport and nursery stock).

Sure, you'll have to pour some beers for the strapping young men, but still.

Dan
alaskanamazon
Original Author
14 years ago
Haha, my friends call me an amazon as a joke because I'm over 6' tall ;-) But I can lift a couple hundred pounds with relative ease on my own.. and we do have several strong friends to help as well. I can always lure more help with beer, bbq, and fresh chocolate chip cookies lol

My husband is adamant that they must go, and soon. Apparently the trees are limiting access to his shop.

I know that fall is the best time to transplant them.. but I don't think he is willing to wait. So I guess I will just have to try and see how they do.
botann
14 years ago
Go for it! I could move both of them in about an hour. I do it all the time.
Here's a Thujopsis dolabrata I successfully moved. Today I moved a 8 ft. Katsura and 4, 10 ft. Acers.
I find that a rock dolly works just fine.

{{gwi:344360}}
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
as long as you understand the physical requirements of what you are getting yourself into ...

what the heck.. go for it ...

opposite on the spectrum from excessive physical labor ... is just plain old good exercise ....

dig the new hole first .... to approx size .... dig out the old.. slap it in the new hole.. keep it properly watered for 2 years .... understanding that most pines like a drink and then dry feet ... so let them nearly dry between waterings... and mulch them well ..

and do it before hubby takes action.. its your only option ...

good luck

ken
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
Yes, move them now-ish. The alternative is wood chips, so why not? And reiterating above, the key is to have strapping young men help you. Much more fun and interesting. ;o)

Dan
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
let us know how it all worked out

ken

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