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09-14-2007, 09:45 AM
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Does anyone have expereince with relocting a japanese Maple? My tree is about 10 years old, 8' tall with a 5' spread. We planted it too close to it's neighbor a blue spruce. We would like to move it, but realize that the root structure may be damaged if we aren't careful. is there a better way to do it? We do have knowledge of working equipment (back hoe, skid loader, etc.) but would rather not dig up a large section of the yard unless necessary.
Thanks for your help!
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You may want to double check some of this, but here goes... I believe that a 3' diameter root ball should be sufficient for your move, then just be sure to plant it in it's new location at the same planting depth it was at before. You can do the same site soil amending that you did when you planted it initially. Also, while it should (?) do OK moving it now, I saw something on TV (?) a while back that may work even better, if you can wait another year before the big haul. Next spring, before new growth starts, use a spade to dig a 6-8" (12"?) trench around the tree about 1-1/2' away from the trunk, severing any roots that extend through the trench. Refill the trench with mulch. This will force the tree to grow new, fibrous roots from the still-attached root stock over the summer. In the fall, finish digging up the tree and move it to its new home. The new, fibrous roots will help it to adapt to its new location faster, which will better its odds of survival. Has anyone else heard about this/care to chime in?
The great thing about gardening is that you always get a chance to start over!