It's not to bad of a time of year to move it if you're not dealing with mud issues. The important thing is that you get it moved and into the ground before the tree breaks dormancy. Pre-planning before you start will help. Getting the tree dug, moved, and replanted in the shortest amount of time, preferably in the same day, will increase the tree's chances. Digging the tree, and then letting it set for a week or two while you try to find someway to move it would harm the tree. For a 3 to 4 inch tree, you would need a 30 to 40 inch root ball. You'll have to be the judge on whether or not your equipment can move that much soil. I don't know how soon you have to move it, and how much time you want to put into the project, but if you wanted to increase the chances of the tree surviving, you could dig the rootball to size now, get into the trench and make nice clean cuts on all the roots that were torn by the backhoe, and then fill the trench in and leave it in the ground for another season. This will force the tree to grow lots of new little fiberouse roots that will help hold the root ball together when you do move it, and leave the tree with more roots after it's transplanted too. When you move the tree, use the same rules as you would for planting a small tree, i.e., don't plant the tree any deeper than it was before, dig the diameter of the planting hole three times the diameter of the root ball, but not any deeper than the size of the root ball; don't add any ammendments to the soil, ect. Remember to never lift the tree buy the trunk, only lift it from underneath on it's root ball. You will probably also need to brace the tree for a year or two while it establishes so it is not knocked over by the wind. Even if you do everything carefully, you are still going to be removing, 75% or more of its small roots, this will make it hard for the tree to take up as much water as it needs to support the crown, so you will want to water the tree the first year or two while it re-establishes. You can prune out any dead limbs before you move it, but wait until it's re-established before you start any training. Some branches might get broken in the move, (these can be pruned off after planting), other may dieback while re-establishing, and you want to have as many branches as possible to work with once the tree is in good shape. Some people think it's important to keep the tree orientated the same way after it's moved, (the north side of the tree facing north, ect.). But others think you should set it into the ground that is the most pleasing the owner. Good luck. Sounds like a fun project. S
