My Tree is Too Big!
In 2004, we planted a Japanese maple for a client.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “What if that tree gets too big for the space?”
“Tell you what,” said John. “If that tree ever gets too big, I’ll pull it out and replace it with a smaller one, free of charge. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Fast forward to this past fall.
“John, I’m telling you, that maple has to go. You come get it or I’ll cut it down myself.”
“Hold on,” said John. “We’ll be out by the end of the week. The tree will be gone by April 15. Sound good?”
“Deal.”
Take a look at the photos. With the tree placed against the house, there wasn’t enough room for a mechanical digger. Additionally, this maple had more surface roots than deep roots. A machine digger would’ve sliced off the surface roots as it dug into the ground. Since we were determined to save the tree, we had to dig out wide to preserve those valuable roots.
It was time-consuming and back-breaking work, but at Bundschuh, we always keep our promises.
We dug wide to protect the major roots and trimmed the lesser ones to create a manageable root ball. After two days of steady digging, we wrapped the root ball in burlap and pulled the tree from the ground. The date? April 13.
We don’t typically do hand-digs. This is definitely not a production-line operation. However, if you need to move a smaller tree after it has leafed out in the summer (although not the ideal time), you can follow our method. Be sure to dig out wide and preserve the surface roots. If you cut these roots too short, you’ll damage the plant’s circulatory system, which can result in a dead tree. It’s a lot of work, so recruit some help – maybe offer a couple of high school students pizza in exchange for their effort. The root ball will be bigger than you expect.
Planting Tip: After moving the tree, let it sit for a few days to harden off before replanting. Once replanted, water it generously, preferably daily. A soaker hose can help keep the soil moist.
Bundschuh Landscape Center – Blending design and vision since 1949.
