OK to move a young tree 5 feet tall thin trunk to a new location?

Question

We moved into this house six months ago and i didn't notice it there .. a wild tree I guess as none of us planted it. In 6 months it has grown quite tall with a lot of leaves. I really would like it in a spot that it would provide shade to my car in this summer sun. Can the tree be moved or will it die. What is the procedure to move it without killing it?

Answer 1

Yes you can move a five foot tree but it would be best to wait until this fall or early spring when it is dormant.  You need to keep in mind that most really fast growing trees are usually not very strong and a tree that grew five feet in six months is really fast growing.  Are you sure you want that standing over your car?  If you still want to move it this Summer dig it up with a root ball as close to the outside diameter of the upper part of the tree and just as deep as you can to avoid cutting any more roots than necessary.  Have the hole in the new spot ready before-hand move the tree and root ball to the new hole.  When you bury it try not to leave any air pockets around the roots and don't bury it any deeper than it was before.  Give the roots a good soaking and don't let it dry out until it has established itself.

Answer 2

if you try to transplant a tree after it has leafed out there is a good chance you will kill it or shock it. if you are lucky it might live but the leaves will fall off for sure if you transplant this late in the year. i recently planted potted ash trees from a tree farm that were leafed out and on one i "slightly" disrupted the rootball when planting and all the leaves fell off:( so for you the best thing to do(what i hear) is to wait until fall after the leaves have fallen off before you try digging up trees. if i was in your shoes i would buy a few green ash trees from your local tree farm or conservation office and plant them because they provide excelent shade and have a faster growth rate. the best time to plant trees is in the fall(when dormant) after the leaves have fallen off or in the spring before they trees are leafed out. just remember to water...alot. trees are super sensitive in the summer time when their roots are messed with.

i hope i was somewhat helpful. good luck with that

Answer 3

hi i have removed several trees in my back yard over the years. since it is a young tree just dig down around the tree maybe several feet deeper around the sides deep tthan take it out with a rounded shovel careful to remove some roots and just to be safe i did it slowly.. than have the other deep whole where it is to be planted ready so you just transfer it and press the dirty down pretty good with your foot andd give it a good watering and do it every 2 days until firm and that should do the trick... watch the tree that it stays green if brown give it more water