can you move an established tree?

13 years ago

We planted a white dogwood 5 years ago. It was a good size when we bought it and it has grown well these last years [ ? maybe 20-30' tall now]. We now are going to be building a fence along the property line where the dogwood is. It will be too close to the fence plus it's lower branches will be lower then the height of the fence. It has provided shade for a garden area of ours so we hate to lose it. We are thinking about trying to move it about a foot or two from its present position.

Is this possible?? And if so, what do we need to know about such a move to make it successful. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
anything is possible.. if you have a big enough checkbook ... or access to extreme tools.... and a load of strapping young men ....

but i dont know if its in the realm of someone who uses the name grandma ... heck i wouldnt even try it ..

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: thirty thousand dollars?????
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
13 years ago
IF the fence wasn't due to run right through the trunk of the tree I'd let the dogwood grow around it. Some pruning issues but hey, trees grow on top of each other in the woods all the time and dogwoods are usually understory trees.

Neat link Ken. I notice they didn't bother digging that deep but went wide. Think there is a point about root area there
Related Discussions
Tips on moving an established Mme. Isaac Pereire
Q
Comments (3)
Agreed. This rose should move well. The more roots you save, the less cutting on top you have to do. I make a frame out of bamboo or pipe and put a shade cloth over it if the weather gets hot right after the move. A big market umbrella works well too. Don't let the midday sun beat down on the moved rose until the roots heal a bit. Now is the time to find a better spot and dig a HUGE hole. Bigger than the previous one. I'm on my third Madame P. and cannot get enough. One is trained up as a semi climber and one I maintain as a 5 foot bush. The other is trained out low ( more about that later). I let them grow as they will for 3 years and then the training begins. For the traditional bush- Once you get big sturdy canes coming up, shorten them back in summer after flowering when they look like so many fishing poles shooting out of the top of the bush. Then you should get a decent fall crop of flowers. I get some now and again through the year but only when I shorten the "poles" in the summer. If you leave the canes in the center taller, and trim the others progressively shorter as you go outward until at the very front, they are quite short, you will get a rose that spring blooms top to bottom! To increase the flowers, every year, do the spring pruning slightly higher than the year before so that you end up with what I call "branchy tops". That increases the flowers X4 or more. You have to figure out where you want the eventual height of the trimmed rose to be with this method and start trimming lower than that because by year 3 and four when its branchy it will be the final height you want. This training is only for plants that are throwing up big fat canes, not roses that are just moved and starting to establish in the first 3 or 4 years. Mine start out ( I dig them up and split them sometimes) as young tall thin plants and gradually build into big rounded bushes full of branchy ends that are loaded with flowers. If you don't force the branching on each cane, you will get one big bloom on the end of each tall wand ( how mine look in the first years) The last one I have is allowed to grow tall and then I bend it down- not quite pegged down to the earth- through the other plants. Then I get a huge crop through the geraniums, penstemon,iris,etc. ALL ALONG the long cane. This is the most work to do because you have to tie them down to poles and then you have the canes and poles to step around as you pull weeds and mulch. I think it's worth it if you want these huge blooms by the bucket full. Truly this is one of the best roses heaven ever gave us and there are many great ways to grow it. I even grew one in a pot but don't think it could get the size it needs to get because it needs lots of room for the roots to get big so you can get the amazing flowers. Shake out the water that rained overnight into the open blooms into a glass bowl and you will taste something so rare...the amazing perfume as you drink the rainwater...try it for yourself..I do this whenever I can and it's a real treat for the senses. Good luck with the move. I know you will just love this rose once it gets over 4 years old and becomes big.
...See More
When can I dig up established perennials to move?
Q
Comments (12)
Two stories... My grandfather died many years ago. We made no provisions to dig up or take any of his many beautiful plants. We sold the house. Within a year we drove by, only to find every single plant had been pulled and the entire yard grassed over. My husband's cousin is disabled, in a wheelchair, and unable to garden. She bought a small single-story house two years ago, with massive perennial beds in the backyard. The property backs up to a right-of-way that is a field. Needless to say, by the end of last summer there were weeds everywhere in the flower beds. Sight unseen and without knowing how much work was involved, I agreed to weed the beds in the backyard, on hearing her brother and sister-in-law had done the front and surrendered. On seeing what was there, and after several weekends of backbreaking work, we decided to pare down her beds. I took plants from around the yard with different bloom times and clustered them into a 15' bed by the patio. My husband and I then began the great dig-out, where I salvaged as many plants remaining as I could from the one side of the yard. Took many home. Gave many away. Never had time to finish the other side, should head over there in a few more weeks to finish. Moved all the tulip and daff bulbs we kept finding to the front of her house and replanted them in the front beds. Moved some miniature roses we kept finding under the weeds to the front walkway. Planted a lilac last fall and have a couple roses on order. Plan to grass the rest. I'm sure the woman who lived there would cry if she saw the backyard now compared to how it looked when she moved, but she'd have cried in July, too, with six-foot tall weeds taking over the beds. At least its current occupant can enjoy a reduced-scale bed from her back patio (which she can access), and see spring color in her front yard. If you want plants, make sure it's known what's not staying and take it. Don't feel guilt about it, the new people may not want it or may not be able to care for it.
...See More
Moving an established rose
Q
Comments (10)
My climate is very different; it's warm (about a zone 8?) and our winters are generally very mild and short,so take what I say with a grain of salt, please. Iplant bare-roots and do "big" moves in November. I have already started moving small roses now that it's begun raining, but am focusing on ones that have been doing poorly in their present spots, so they are practically dormant already from the summer's drought.In my experience, it is best to cut the roses's canes back when moving, for though it is certainly true that they store up energy in their canes, experience has showed me that once moved, the roots do go into a bit of a shock, and they have trouble functioning and pumping out water and nutrients all the way up long canes. So I'd advise cutting it back a little; say, to 4 feet, maybe? it will also be easier to handle, I think. Mind, I DID once get away with moving an established rambler leaving long canes on it, but I wouldn't do it again. The plant took several years to re-establish,for one thing, and in any case I lost so much wood on it that it wouldv'e been easier and more sensible just to cut it back in the first place! I think it would require constant watering and fussing in order to move the entire, un-pruned plant with perfect success.
...See More
Can I move an established PeeWee in the fall?
Q
Comments (7)
I moved a 5-year old macrophylla (4 ft. by 4 ft.) in the fall and it worked better than I expected. I lost a lot of the rootball in the process because the soil was wet and heavy, and it broke away in huge chunks; and it didn't help that I was trying to lift it by myself... (Big mistake!) I added some greensand into the new planting hole and amended it very lightly with compost. Then I covered the surface with a very thick layer of straw to preserve soil warmth and keep the roots going as long as possible before the winter set in. It never missed a beat and it's on the way to being the same size this year. Good luck -- you will definitely need drink later :)
...See More
Lauril Rohde
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi, gentlemen,

I had to chuckle at the reference to "grandma". Indeed I am. However, in very recent years, my husband [grandpa] who is about 130 lbs. and myself as assistant planted trees with rootballs 100lbs.+, all of which survived beautifully. Physics [my husband] has a lot to do with it when brawn is not possible, plus common sense re watering [my department]. Appreciated the tip on width - my husband may have already thought of that - and also the idea from the link of watering foliage as well as the rootball. I had been wondering if there were things to be aware of that I could pass on to my husband. At any rate you have encouraged me. Perhaps I can let you know how this turns out. If we end up attempting it, it will be in 3-4 weeks.
musicalperson
13 years ago
That sounds like a big tree to be moving without any equipment but if you have successfully moved 1000 lb root balls in the past then I guess you already have your answer. It can be done if you're popeye the sailorman and eat your spinach. For the rest of us mere mortals, you 're going to need some heavy equipment or a team of day laborers. Either way, don't attempt it until late autumn.
Marie Tulin
13 years ago
please don't make fun of me: if you have some leeway with fence and the property line, make a jog in the fence. I freequently drive by a house that did that to save a grand old tree. Everytime I think: these people have their priorities straight!
Marie
brandon7 TN_zone7
13 years ago
Musicalperson,
Re-read....100+ lbs rootballs, not 1000 lbs rootballs! A 20'-30' tree is going to be a whole new catagory!

Marie,
I don't think there's anything to make fun of. Sounds to me like your suggestion is the most sensible.
krycek1984
13 years ago
I personally would attempt to build the fence around the dogwood. It can be quite close to the tree trunk and still be ok; I've seen it done many times here in the city due to necessity (small yards, tight propertly lines, trees growing on the property line). It just takes a bit of creativity.
katrina1
13 years ago
what is on the other side of your Property line? If it is a city easment, than jogging the fence around the tree might be the best solution.

The Fence being installed on your property line: why was the tree first planted in a planting hole that was centered on your property line?

Is the property line your tree has been planted on even your personal property line with city easment on the other side of it?

People planting trees on my property line and even just outside of my personal property line angers me, I mean especially if they have not, previous to planting, at least consulted with me to see if I even want what would be my side of the tree's roots and overhanging canopy encrouching onto my property.

can you move an established tree?

Comments (8)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

Related Discussions

Lauril Rohde
Original Author

musicalperson

Marie Tulin

brandon7 TN_zone7

krycek1984

katrina1

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

can you move an established tree?

Comments (8)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

Related Discussions

Lauril RohdeOriginal Author

musicalperson

Marie Tulin

brandon7 TN_zone7

krycek1984

katrina1

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Lauril Rohde
Original Author