City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/41336
tree, were 44 feet (13.4 m) long; under the smaller tree, they were 38 feet (11.6 m) long. Each tree was lifted onto the trailer and then transported 300 yards (274 m) to new homes near a wetland. The smaller tree was growing next to utility lines, so Davey crews also had to work with the local power company, which put in insula- tion around the lines before work began. While the job itself employed textbook techniques for successful tree moves, proper tree care before and after each transplant made the most difference. When trans- planting a tree, its survival rate increases or decreases in proportion with how well it's taken care of. When a tree is moved, it naturally goes into shock and needs intensive care to ensure it emerges from this transplant shock unscathed. The aftercare of a transplanted tree will vary depending on the size and species. Sufficient advance watering, which could be a few days or as long as a month or more before the move, proper root pruning in advance (sometimes up to one year in advance, depending on tree size and job parameters), and proper rootball sizing will help to ensure a smooth adaptation to the tree's new environment. Paying atten- tion to soil types in both the original location and the new location, and making any changes necessary to replicate the tree's familiar environment, can aid sur- vival as well. Irrigation after the move is essential once the tree is planted in its final location, and the addition of a drain- age system and site tubes to monitor the subsurface water is also recommended. Lastly, moving the tree at the right time of year for the species and location—usu- ally early spring or fall—is also important, particularly in an urban environment. In cities, trees are usually susceptible to more heat and traffic, so extra measures focused on proper care can ensure trees best adapt to their new homes. —Dan Howse, Landscape Architect, Davey Resource Group, Land Development Solutions the site, took six weeks and ten semi-trailers for moving equipment and materials. Planting holes were dug by hand to a depth of 3 feet (.91 m). Then, Davey crews cut the roots with hand- saws, excavated the soil, and prepared the rootballs with burlap and wire. After encapsulating the rootballs, Davey crews excavated boring pits adjacent to the trees and inserted pipes to create wall-to-wall lifting platforms under the rootballs. I-beams were inserted beneath the pipes to aid in the lifting of the trees, and specially designed trailers were built onsite and used to transport the trees to their new locations. The pipes, 7 inches (17.8 cm) thick and inserted under the larger www.urban-forestry.com I was involved with moving three large trees when I was city forester for McMinnville, Tennessee. The first time was when a maple needed to be moved before a new access road was paved in a City park. It was about 8 inches (20 cm) DBH and 16 feet (4.9 m) tall. There was tons of space in all directions, but the park director wanted the road right where the tree was, so I had to go into action. I had only two days. The tree was being transplanted from compacted soil to another site with compacted soil. I wanted to break up the compaction (silty clay with a lot of gravel), but I couldn't get the money to rent an air excavation tool. We used a backhoe to dig a large square around the maple about 3 feet (.91 m) down and about 4 feet (1.2 m) to each side of the trunk. The equipment operators 19