I have to move or cut down these bushes in front of the old farm I am restoring for my daughter to move into. The wife and daughter both want these bushes gone. I hate to destroy them. I have plenty of room elsewhere to plant them along the fields or woods edge. I no longer have a backhoe, so that is out of the question. Digging them up would be a real chore. I could soak the ground in the spring and pull them out with my tractor. There are 3 Rhododendrons and 2 everereen bushes to move. Any ideas to safely move these would be appreciated.
What's the best way to move these?
- Thread starter JimR
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Elmore
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Rhodies should be easy to move, fibrous root systems. Measure the stem or trunk diameter about 6" above the soil line. Figure a root ball diameter of 12" per inch of measure of trunk. If you trunk diameter is two inches your root ball would be 24" across. Take measurements and dig a narrow trench around each plant, 2/3 as deep as the diameter of your root ball. Sever the remaining roots, under the plant and place the root ball on a burlap or sheet to enable you to handle it. Try to keep as much soil intact as possible. Drag it or preferably lift it onto a wheeled contraption and transport it to it's new site. If you can't plant it immediately you should wrap the ball with the fabric, put the plant in a sheltered area and spray water on it frequently. You should prepare a new planting hole after you have taken measurements and before you have dug the plants. Transplant at the same depth or slightly higher, water very well and mulch. Keep an eye on them and water regularly until established. Possibly two years. Same may go for the unknown evergreen shrubs. If your plant is not but an inch or two in caliper I wouldn't even bother digging a narrow trench, I would simply dig with the edge of the spade. Get as much root and soil intact and transplant in a timely fashion.
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Thanks for the info Elmore. that doesn't sound too bad. mabye I can get the wife and daughter to do the digging. I can probably lift them out with nylon straps using my tractor bucket if I am careful.
Tree Machine
Addicted to ArboristSite
I don't know if this method would work. Its a little clip from a video we shot yesterday. If you can get the staves set, the lift with the tractor would be a lot easier lift.
Nice Job. Thanks for the video. That is a smart way to move small trees without damaging them. I use to have a very large backhoe on an old Ford that I use to own. I could reach over a 5 - 6' bush and dig it right out of the ground with one shoop with the 16" bucket. Spring will be here soon and I will be moving them one way or another.
