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SC | I moved some that were 4"to 5" and 25' with a front end loader and a custom made bucket. I moved one about 8" but I just dragged the bucket a few hundred yards because the loader couldn't lift it. I made the bucket 4' x4' and lifted a block of dirt around the tree that size by 12" to 16"deep. I dug a hole in front of the tree to the depth I wanted the root ball to be, lowered and leveled the bucket in the hole to the depth I wanted the root ball to be, then poped the clutch and the bucket slid under the tree, cutting the roots and filling the bucket. The secret to success if there is one is to prepare the tree a year ahead. I went out the winter before and cut down around the trees I wanted to move in a 4x4 square the same size as the bucket. That cuts the lateral roots and stimulates the tree to make new roots inside that 4x4 rootball. When you come back a year later recut in the same place and you're ready to lift. I was amazed how little dirt you get when you buy a tree at the nursery. I moved about 15 trees and watered the first year and lost none. I was using a JD158 loader and drove up to 5 miles with the tree in the bucket. You might can modify my method to move your bigger ones. I just remembered that about 5 or 6 of the trees had not been prepared the year before but I was moving so much dirt with the trees it didn't really matter. They all lived. | |
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Yard machinery - spading trees
