The importance of trees in our environment is undeniable. These plants help to create the environmental balance needed to avoid things such as global warming. However, human activity cannot be limited in today’s world, and it may be necessary to move an already grown tree from one place to another, something that is apparently better than chopping it off entirely. Moving a grown tree is a risk since the tree could fail to flourish in the new location unless the transplant is done well. Before thinking of transplanting one, it is essential to know some important things so that you can increase the chances of saving the trees life and giving it another shot in its new location. Here are few things you should be aware of about transplanting a tree.
Timing
You cannot wake up one day and decide to move a tree from one place to another. You should get your timing right and do it at a suitable season. Moving a deciduous tree should be done during the spring season before it starts to produce leaves or during fall after the color of the leaves starts to turn. Avoid moving evergreen trees when they have grown most of their leaves, or close to winter when they don’t have enough time to stabilize before the bad weather arrives. Evergreens should be transplanted late into the summer.
Remember that the roots extend beyond the amount of soil that you will be able to move and you will be required to cut the roots at some point. Prune them to a manageable size before transplanting to allow them to heal before moving them to their new location. If you wish to move the tree in one season, consider pruning the roots in the previous season after the leaves fall or before they grow. In a nutshell, the best time for transplanting a tree is when it is dormant, and the ground conditions are perfect.
Preparations
It is almost possible to transplant any tree, but you need to ensure that the conditions for doing so are right. Do not do it blindly and conduct some necessary checks before making your move. Check how much light the area receives, the soil acidity levels and drainage of the new location. The main aim of conducting all these checks is to make sure that the new place will be perfect for the tree you want to transplant.
Dealing With Matured Plants
It is possible to relocate trees that have already established themselves in their existing locations, but this should be done with extra caution. You should be more attentive to the feeder roots which provide the plant with most of the water and nutrients. A right way of going about this is to start the process step by step. You should begin pruning the roots long before the transplant which prompts the tree to close some of the feeder roots or start developing new ones which may be useful for the adjustment of the tree to the new location.
Pruning the roots can be done by first tying the branches and digging a trench based on the shape of the root and the direction they take. The information regarding the shape taken by the roots can be obtained on the web or by talking to an Arborist. After digging the trench, cut the roots below the trench and replace the earth in the hole. After this, water the area and untie the branches. This should be done about six months before the date of the relocation.
What Are The Variation In Species?
It is true that the response seen from different tree species when they get relocated differently. Holding the other factors such as the climatic conditions, soil acidity and nutrients constant, the species determines how responsive a tree is to relocations. Some common trees that have been seen to respond well to transplanting include red maples, bald cypress, and elms. This can be owed to their fibrous root systems which can be captured when digging. Trees that have roots that are not well spread and stretch deep into the ground may take some time to respond and stabilize in their new location. Such trees require more attention from the pruning stages all the way to the after-transplant care which involves watering and applying fertilizer. For more such information you can visit our Facebook page.
Some Important Things To Be Noted
For all transplants, you need to take care of some essential things for the whole thing to span out right. First and foremost, ensure that you have ample time and resources to conduct the transplanting exercise. It has been mentioned that timing is crucial and you should be very careful in how you go about it. Keep in mind that the tree will have to lose a massive part of its rooting system during the transplant. Ensure that you hydrate it during this period as the loss of the rooting methods significantly reduces the amount of water the tree takes in. Hydrating it ensures that the remaining part of the rooting system makes up for the lost pieces by taking in as much water as possible. Ensure that the limb is tied up well during the transit process to avoid breakage which makes the tree more delicate when transplanted. You should also wrap it in a tarp to tone down the moisture loss caused by the effect of the wind. Once the tree is planted in the new location, water it as soon possible and does it regularly until it starts stabilizing in the new area. Follow up with appropriate tree care and maintenance to keep away pests and diseases that may derail its growth.
You do not have to worry about that tree that is overgrowing its allocated space as you could quickly move it to another place and enjoy that shade. It has been seen that the older a tree is, the hardest it is to transplant it. Ensure that you take utmost care when moving a tree and follow all the guidelines that have been mentioned above to ensure that your transplant is successful.
Visit https://evanstontreeservice.com/ for further information and and you can contact us on (847) 563-4044 for any Tree Service.