I have a dogwood tree that is about 15 feet tall with a trunk of 5 inch diameter. I would like to move it, but I'm not sure I can without killing it. How big of a root ball would you think I would have to dig up to move it without killing it?
Root ball rule: 10 inches out for each inch of trunk diameter. Tie a twine loop (loose) around the trunk, measure out 50 inches and tie a stick at the end of the twine at this mark. Walk around the tree to make a nice scratchy circle on the ground and that's where you start digging.....down. This is NOT going to be a one person job. IF you can get a tow truck back to where your tree is you can make a sling around the base of the trunk and have the truck lift it and move it to where it's going......if logistics permit. If not you'll need to find the day labor employment agency used when the pyramids were built. Soak the ground pretty good for a few days before you dig, it's easier on the tree and the shovel technician. It's also best to move the tree when dormant.
Have fun!
Val
OUch. I was afraid of that. This tree is not worth that much to me. I either chop it down, or leave it up against a fence (that will soone be build where it stands).
Many years ago I tried to move a few wild dogwoods off a vacant lot out back to my front yard. I recall a big tap root. Only one, that I dug fairly deep to get most of root survived. May be best to just cut it down. I also had a couple of dogwoods out back that got shaded over the years and had to be cut down.
Frank
I'd look into replacing it with a Kousa.
Bill
This one is directoy north of a huge pine tree, and does not get much sun. Here is a pic of it:
Dogwoods are understory trees, it is growing where it should be, in the shade.
Some links:
The bigger the better. Prune all roots injured by hand with a sharp tool. prune them like the end of a straw. Straight accross. Crushed roots (woody) lead to deacay.
Hmm...any bets on whether my rododendron will survive? I removed it, and my
9 year old threw a fit (long story), so I agreed to plant the remains. It was fairly large, and this is all that is left - a root mass with a few growing branches sticking up. I'd be surprised if it survived, but you never know. The cut off ends you see on the lower left side of the pic were roots, not branches. Some idiot planted it in a very bad place, and it got huge, so I had to remove it.HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.