How to move and transplant a tree

You are planning to move and you want to move your long-groomed trees to your new yard. With proper preparation, the chances of success are not bad. As a rule, trees can still be transplanted without any problems after a period of three to four years. But the longer they take root, the worse they grow in the new location. Just like the crown, the roots expand and deepen with age. Aks Golan’s Moving & Storage for tips for how you can successfully and safely move and transplant a tree.

How to move a tree

Pre-planning helps! Just like when you need to plan to relocate your belongings, the same way you need to plan to move trees. There is absolutely nothing about relocating that can’t be helped by affordable movers Chicago. Not only can they help you move from start to finish, but they can also help you relocate your beloved trees that you have been cultivating and nurturing for years.

Perfect day for a move

The perfect day to move your tree is when the humidity is high in early spring. Just before the leaves start to bud out. While roots mostly absorb moisture from trees, leaves will give moisture through evaporation when they are under stress. Advice from residential movers Chicago is to avoid moving trees with leaves. Root pruning will greatly increase the chances of a successful transplant. Sever the roots when you move them on or just above the drip line of the tree, this way the long unbranched roots will be broken. This calls for new roots to grow again near the main stem. It takes two to three seasons to fully recover a tree root, but can also happen as early as six months. This makes the existing root system compact and increases the tree’s chances of survival if it is moved.

Tips from Golan’s Moving & Storage on how to plan to move and transplant tree

Moving a tree requires a little more thorough and longer preparation. If possible, transplant in the spring. If that is not possible a good time to move and transplant tree is in autumn. Mark the place where you want to plant a new tree. Dig a trench with a sharp shovel at a generous distance from the trunk and pierce all the roots. With deep-rooted trees, you should also cut the roots on the underside of the root ball with the spade. Mix the excavated material with 50 percent of mature compost, use it to fill the trench, and abundantly water the plant. Do not set the tree any lower in the new location than it was before.

Young trees are easier to move and transplant

If the tree is younger and therefore smaller is better. Increasing the size of a tree increases the effort it takes to transplant it. It also decreases the tree’s chance of survival if not done correctly. Allow trees over 4 inches in trunk diameter to move with the help of the pros moving companies Northbrook IL. It is easier to transplant smaller insulating trees, and they will overcome the transplant shock much easier and faster.  The roots are only located in the top few inches of the soil, so be very careful with this part of the root ball. For most trees and shrubs, the root ball depth should be about 8 inches for a 12-inch diameter root ball, ranging up to about 18 inches for a 48-inch diameter root ball.

Approach each tree in a special way

There are trees and bushes for which even this gentle process is not reliable. Trees that are at home in sandy soils that are poor in nutrients are difficult to transplant. Most of them form deep roots and have few, hardly branched main roots in the topsoil. Examples: gorse, olive willow (Elaeagnus), and wig bush. Most slow-growing deciduous trees such as daphne, magnolia, witch hazel, Japanese ornamental maples, bell hazel, flower dogwood, and various types of oak are also difficult to transplant. Trees with flat, densely branched roots in the topsoil usually take root well in the new location. Hydrangeas and simple spring bloomers such as forsythia, ornamental currants, and pipe bushes cause few problems.  

Symptoms of Tree Transplant Shock 

The symptoms of tree transplant shock are immediately apparent in trees that are moved in full leaf or when leaves are forming after replanting. Deciduous tree leaves wither and if corrective measures are not taken immediately, they can eventually tan and fall. Coniferous needles turn a light green or blue-green color before turning brittle, browning, and shedding. These tanning symptoms initially start on the youngest (newest) leaves, which are more delicate and sensitive to water loss. The first symptoms, in addition to leaf yellowing or browning, can be leaf curling, curling, wilting, and scorching around the leaf edges. So pay close attention to the condition of your tree after transplanting.

Avoid transplant shock 

So when you transplant your tree, a very delicate balance is changed. This is especially true when “wild” trees from courtyards, fields, or in the forest and transplanting. Your chances of success will be improved if you prune the tree’s root a year or two before the actual transplant. This simply means using a spade to sever the roots around the tree at a comfortable distance from the trunk. 

To conclude, in order to successfully move and transplant a tree, delicate preparation, and great knowledge and experience are necessary. Use our amazing moving services.  So do not hesitate to contact the best movers in Chicago, who have experience and can help you successfully move your tree.