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| Five years ago, we put in two small crabapple trees in our backyard. They are doing wonderfully, but we are having a basement dug for a bedroom addition and are having some of the dirt transplanted to that part of the lawn. The area really needs to be regraded, but I hate the thought of losing the trees. Is there any way that we could dig them up and place them somewhere for a week or two and then replant them in the same places again? Would they survive? Any tips on how to do this would be much appreciated.
There are five years old and we are in zone 6a. They would most likely need to be moved in April or May. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| It would be best if you do the moving while they are dormant. They should be waking up very soon with this mild weather. I know my crabapples are pushing new growth already here and little north of me. If the basement is for safety purposes (tornado shelter) that takes priority for me. I would then have to transplant them now. I would not wait until April. If the project can be put off until they are dormant this fall, since you like them so much, I'd do that ideally. Remember, small crabapples are pretty inexpensive, you could just start over. But transplanting in the growing season is not a death sentence, just a lot of work keeping them alive and disease free in the harshest time of year (summer) with a massively reduced root system. John |
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| Yes, if you can physically do it, or if you can afford to have equipment brought it, it certainly can be done. With the right equipment, fully mature trees can be moved. April or May, though -- no, sorry, it needs to be done while dormant. Which, with the kind of weather in your neck of the woods, is NOW. Before the buds break and grow, at least. The sooner the better. |
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| Thanks for the quick responses! I'm not worried about the cost of buying new trees. It's more the time we will lose planting new ones. They are also so lovely and clearly love the locations in the yard where they are currently. Since it is almost 70 degrees outside today, everything is already budding. We already have daffodils blooming. I really don't have another place to put them permanently in the yard, as it is pretty small. So regardless they would have to sit for a few weeks. How do you even do that? Do you wrap them in burlap and keep them upright? I guess I'll take my chances with transplanting them later. And if they die, I'll plant new in the fall or next spring. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 29, 12 at 17:32
| see if the guy with the backhoe.. who is going to dig the basement.. cant do it for you ... just place them somewhere else ... age of the tree is irrelevant.. perhaps if you told us how big it is.. that might be a bit more helpful ... and is there anything precious about these ???? in my world.. the reasonableness of the project is compared to cost of replacement.. and if i could mail order two replacements for $20 .. i surely would not spend $500 to move them ... focus on the project.. the addition ... deal with the garden after ... if they must be sacrificed.. so be it ... ken |
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