Moving a Lime Tree

[Spruce Pirate]

I'm looking for advice on moving a lime standard.  The tree is a common lime, I believe, approximately 20 years old, I think about 18 from memory, but say 17 - 20.  It is about 13' tall and about 15cm dbh. 

 

The local estate planted a lime avenue in 2000 which has done fairly well but a couple of trees have failed over the years.  Several replacement trees were got and put in in subsequent years and this is the last one which they have decided now to move to replace one of the trees which isn't doing quite so well.  We replaced some a number of years ago (at least 10 years ago) but at the time the replacements were much smaller and I've never done one quite this big before. 

 

Access to machinery and trailers isn't a problem, what I really want to know is how big a root ball we should be leaving.  I'm guessing as big as possible.  Any advice on lifting the tree, wrapping roots or anything else much appreciated.  The tree only has to move a couple of hundred meters, all on estate roads so no need to secure it to a lorry, worry about low bridges or anything like that.

 

Photo's of tree to be moved in it's current position should be attached below.

 

 

[Stubby]

31 minutes ago, Spruce Pirate said:

I'm looking for advice on moving a lime standard.  The tree is a common lime, I believe, approximately 20 years old, I think about 18 from memory, but say 17 - 20.  It is about 13' tall and about 15cm dbh. 

 

The local estate planted a lime avenue in 2000 which has done fairly well but a couple of trees have failed over the years.  Several replacement trees were got and put in in subsequent years and this is the last one which they have decided now to move to replace one of the trees which isn't doing quite so well.  We replaced some a number of years ago (at least 10 years ago) but at the time the replacements were much smaller and I've never done one quite this big before. 

 

Access to machinery and trailers isn't a problem, what I really want to know is how big a root ball we should be leaving.  I'm guessing as big as possible.  Any advice on lifting the tree, wrapping roots or anything else much appreciated.  The tree only has to move a couple of hundred meters, all on estate roads so no need to secure it to a lorry, worry about low bridges or anything like that.

 

Photo's of tree to be moved in it's current position should be attached below.

 

 

I would have thought the only safe way would be to get a tree spade in . I know its not huge but it is established and digging and maneuvering a tree like that  may stress it and it could fail in its new spot . A tree spade will keep a fair bit of the ground it is in currently and wont shock the roots . Obviously the new hole needs digging first with enough room to take  the lump that will be on the the tree .

Edited January 27, 2020 by Stubby

[Khriss]

Have you severed the roots around yr intended radius of extraction ? Its a good idea to do that the year before you actually lift it , as new root fibre will have already grown when time comes to lift him out . Yr survivability of the tree goes up . K

[Gary Prentice]

14 minutes ago, Khriss said:

Have you severed the roots around yr intended radius of extraction ? Its a good idea to do that the year before you actually lift it , as new root fibre will have already grown when time comes to lift him out . Yr survivability of the tree goes up . K

Don't be so daft man. For every tree that I've ever moved I've explained that really you should prepare by digging around 1/2 the root circumference two years prior to moving, then the other half a year before to minimise stress and allow time for the creation of fibrous roots.

 

The longest notice before it must be moved has never exceed a week 

54 minutes ago, Spruce Pirate said:

I'm looking for advice on moving a lime standard.  The tree is a common lime, I believe, approximately 20 years old, I think about 18 from memory, but say 17 - 20.  It is about 13' tall and about 15cm dbh. 

 

The local estate planted a lime avenue in 2000 which has done fairly well but a couple of trees have failed over the years.  Several replacement trees were got and put in in subsequent years and this is the last one which they have decided now to move to replace one of the trees which isn't doing quite so well.  We replaced some a number of years ago (at least 10 years ago) but at the time the replacements were much smaller and I've never done one quite this big before. 

 

Access to machinery and trailers isn't a problem, what I really want to know is how big a root ball we should be leaving.  I'm guessing as big as possible.  Any advice on lifting the tree, wrapping roots or anything else much appreciated.  The tree only has to move a couple of hundred meters, all on estate roads so no need to secure it to a lorry, worry about low bridges or anything like that.

 

Photo's of tree to be moved in it's current position should be attached below.

 

 

A lot will depend on the soil type and moisture content, some rootballs remain bound together better than others.

 

Personally I'd hand dig the initial trench, maybe a couple of spade depths deep to get an idea of how contained the root system is, or isn't. 

 

Once you've done that, if the soils obviously going to fall apart if you even look at it I'd wrap the sides of the rootball. Use the machine, carefully then to widen the trench to create working room to dig beneath the rootball - again by hand. Continue wrapping (with hessian) underneath as much as you can as you go along until the last sinkers can be severed.

 

You might be lucky and find its in a nice clay soil that binds well. You can only play it by ear as you go along. It's pretty much the same principle no matter what size the tree is - have a look at some of the mature trees that they move in the far east.

[Macaulay]

You should dig down and sever the roots leaving a rootball at about 1m in diameter this should be done a couple of months before transplant and the rootball will fill with fiberous roots and give it a better chance of survival.

You could buy one grown in airpot for a couple of hundred. It would have a much better chance of survival and less fucking about.

[Macaulay]

Sorry didn’t read previous post.

[Khriss]

@Macaulay   much more pragmatic than Prentice or i  ? k

[dumper]

I have a Newman frame for tree moving all you need is a loader to lift it, preparing before moving will benefit the tree

[Spruce Pirate]

48 minutes ago, Macaulay said:

You should dig down and sever the roots leaving a rootball at about 1m in diameter this should be done a couple of months before transplant and the rootball will fill with fiberous roots and give it a better chance of survival.

You could buy one grown in airpot for a couple of hundred. It would have a much better chance of survival and less fucking about.

1m in diameter?  This seems quite small for a tree this size, I was assuming it to be nearer 2m diameter.

 

Buying in isn't an option I think as the laird fancies the idea of moving the one they've got.

 

 

53 minutes ago, Gary Prentice said:

Don't be so daft man. For every tree that I've ever moved I've explained that really you should prepare by digging around 1/2 the root circumference two years prior to moving, then the other half a year before to minimise stress and allow time for the creation of fibrous roots.

 

The longest notice before it must be moved has never exceed a week 

A lot will depend on the soil type and moisture content, some rootballs remain bound together better than others.

 

Personally I'd hand dig the initial trench, maybe a couple of spade depths deep to get an idea of how contained the root system is, or isn't. 

 

Once you've done that, if the soils obviously going to fall apart if you even look at it I'd wrap the sides of the rootball. Use the machine, carefully then to widen the trench to create working room to dig beneath the rootball - again by hand. Continue wrapping (with hessian) underneath as much as you can as you go along until the last sinkers can be severed.

 

You might be lucky and find its in a nice clay soil that binds well. You can only play it by ear as you go along. It's pretty much the same principle no matter what size the tree is - have a look at some of the mature trees that they move in the far east.

I'll do a bit of exploring, I expect the soil to be heavy, clingy and wet.  I'll do some spade work, or see if I can persuade someone else to do some spade work while I "supervise".

 

 

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

I would have thought the only safe way would be to get a tree spade in . I know its not huge but it is established and digging and maneuvering a tree like that  may stress it and it could fail in its new spot . A tree spade will keep a fair bit of the ground it is in currently and wont shock the roots . Obviously the new hole needs digging first with enough room to take  the lump that will be on the the tree .

Tree spade isn't in the budget I think (I'm only guessing as I don't know how much a tree spade costs), a quick Google doesn't come up with anyone local that might do it, I think Ruskins do national coverage but not sure.  I'd agree a spade would be the best option but I think yokel power will be the actual solution somehow.

 

 

8 minutes ago, dumper said:

I have a Newman frame for tree moving all you need is a loader to lift it, preparing before moving will benefit the tree

Whereabouts are you?  Do you hire out the frame?

 

 

 

  Many thanks for all the advice, I'll do a bit of digging with the spade and see how it looks for starters.  Any further advice welcome, if I remember I'll take some photo's of the excavations and see what folk think.

[jarborist]

Once dug the sides, severing the base is tricky and important as a surprisingly small root will stop it moving. Hand dig as far as you can beneath the root ball. When it comes to moving you can dig a ramp to pull it out/ access it and ' cheese wire it' by which I mean a cable pulled beneath base to sever all roots, be careful with this method not to pull upwards and slice the root ball in half.