Need to move some small blue spruce

[SuperDIYer]

So we got some blue spruce saplings back two years ago and planted them where we could get them started... Well now we need to move them. These saplings are now between 20 and 30 inches tall and we have done enough work on the rest of the yard to put them in their permanent home.

Questions I need answered:
1.) What time of year to do this? In south-west Michigan is now a good time?
2.) Move a big ball of dirt or clean the roots out and re-plant in the new location?

Thanks in advance for the advice!
jtz

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Personally, I'd move them to Colorado. They are over planted, disease ridden, and short lived. Other than that though, they're nice trees.

Now is a bad time to move them. It's also bad during candle elongation in late spring. Fall would be better, spring the best.
Moving the trees with as big a ball of soil as you can handle, will yield the best results.
You could do some root pruning this fall and move them in early spring.