This plant can be transplanted, although if it is over 6' tall you should have it moved by a professional. The root-ball could weigh from 500 to over well over 1000 pounds depending on the size of the tree. Generally, you have two options. Preferably to "hand-dig" which is very labor intensive but is better for the tree or move it with a tree-spade which requires specialized equipment and room to maneuver. First, spray paint a circle around the tree to mark the area for the root-ball. A deep trench should be dug around the tree being careful not to disturb the root-ball. Fill the trench with water. You can add a commercially available starter solution and/or Bioplex to the water if you like. Let the water soak in then fill the trench with mulch. Overwinter the tree in this state then move the tree in early Spring.

I did my red maple in earlier in spring, trying to raise it. Mine was planted about 10-12" too deep, but I planted it myself, with the help of a hired hand in fall of 2015. BTW, I'm in Marlboro NJ, zone 7A. The tree in question was a beautiful October Glory maple. I was just aiming to get the top of the burlap bag an inch or 2 above the surrounding soil, not realizing until next spring, that I had made a mistake. It started out a beautiful 'rubrum' in spring, giving me hours of pleasure, as I just stood around it, sometimes nursing a drink. But as a very wet spring progressed, and the leaves were still not opening out fully, my mind raced to a number of things that could have gone wrong in the planting. I definitely had not cut the cage around it as thoroughly as I should have (damn thick guage wire, so hard to cut with pliers!). So, one very wet day, in a very very wet week, I started investigating, prying the dirt away, in an effort to find the wire cage. In the process I discovered that I could not see the root flare at all, instead the trunk was buried, and was discoloring and fraying from the surrounding soil and water. So I decided to raise it. I leaned on the tree, this way and that until it was moving on it's root ball. I shoveled dirt under the root ball, trying to work it in with my foot. Then I had a brainwave! I soaked the root ball and surrounding with water and waited. As the water drained down, the dirt mixed in the water found it's way to the bottom, while I was still wiggling it. It worked, the tree was slowly raised. And then I made the fatal mistake! I also saw roots that were growing from down on up. Now, with the tree raised, these roots were poking into the air. I started cutting them, some of them were big and juicy. I felt horrible, but could not stop! After I had raised and root pruned the tree to my aesthetic satisfaction, I covered it with dirt just so, and mulched and staked it. It looked really nice, with the frayed trunk, previously suffering the indignity of being buried, now finally breathing and recovering, or so I thought. I kept the tree well watered, even spritzing it a few times a day (deputizing my kids in the job as well). But the leaves started drooping. I increased the watering and spritzing, but to no avail. One by one, the leaves gradually turned brown, and then dropped. After a few weeks, in a frantic effort to save the tree, I cut back the branches a couple of inches from the terminal buds to encourage growth. But to no avail. Right now, it's late August, and a scratch test reveals a dead tree. No cambium, no phloem, no nothing! There are leaves growing from the base, but even those are drying up right now. So, I will definitely be replacing the tree. I have a question from this learned group, but I will first let this greek tragedy soak in first.

Thanks Jeff. Actually you hit the nail on the head. I bought this house 3 years ago and it already had 4 established bushes on the east side. They would be about 6 feet tall, right now, had I not cut them back to 4 feet last fall. Ever since, they aint been looking too hot. Showing signs of iron sclorosis, I think (yellowing with green veins), so I threw down a small carton of epsom salt. All are greening up now but one (the southern most in the row)but, none are budding yet. Musaboru, I am also a little disappointed with the osmanthus that i just bought. They smell great but, only faintly and only when I stick the flowers up my nose. I have been searching for these all around my area and cant find any let alone any with powerful fragrance

Luis, I live in Texarkana and have 30+ sweet olives. No specific kind, just o. fragrans. The ones in the shade are blooming right now. I've got some in the sun, some in the shade. The sun doesn't seem to bother them at all (and mine are in full - all day sun), and I've never had any problems out of mine. Some didn't get much water in this drought we just had, and they did fine and are blooming more than the others that are near my roses and got watered once a week. The ones in the sun look better, because they are fuller. If you want them to be full, chop them down by 1/3 each spring (after they bloom). These things will bloom during all of the cooler months. If it's not over 90 outside, or freezing at night, they are blooming. GREAT PLANT. The soil here is red clay, very acidic, not rich at all. I've never had one die from anything, not cold, not heat, not even neglect.