jcliburn
Gold Member
A pecan tree has a strong and deep taproot, from what I've read. (I know from experience a hickory tree does, and they're related.). Prepare yourself for a big dig.
Digging up pecan trees to replant
- Thread starter schoolsout
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tallyho8
Elite Member
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- Kubota L4400, Kubota ZD326
Our pecan trees are so hardy I don't think you could kill them if you tried. Every time a pecan falls on the ground and a squirrel doesn't get it, a tree grows that is about 2 feet tall by the time I bush hog it in the summer.
Katrina blew down a lot of our large pecan trees but not the oaks so I am guessing the pecans don't have as much root. One of the 12" pecan trees is still lying on the ground with half the roots exposed and bearing pecans since Katrina. I've even bulldozed some pecan trees up and into a brush pile and they remained growing there.
I guess if it was a good tree and I wanted it to live then it would probably die.
Katrina blew down a lot of our large pecan trees but not the oaks so I am guessing the pecans don't have as much root. One of the 12" pecan trees is still lying on the ground with half the roots exposed and bearing pecans since Katrina. I've even bulldozed some pecan trees up and into a brush pile and they remained growing there.
I guess if it was a good tree and I wanted it to live then it would probably die.
jinman
Rest in Peace
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My brother and I replanted several seedlings around 12" to 16" tall when we were teenagers. We simply dug them up with a shovel and dropped them into a post hole. Those trees grew so well that they became very good producers in about 10 years growth. They were large thick-shelled natives, but had excellent taste. They certainly were not 3" caliper trees, but it didn't take them long to get there. The area where they were planted had been a hog pen and then a chicken pen in years past. I suspect the soil was pretty rich.:thumbsup:
Jose263
New member
Schoolsout,
I'm new - actually this is my 1st post on the tractor forum - i was surfing for info about transplanting pecan trees. I have several large 80+ft trees, Stuarts. not wanting to move them but they produce seedlings each year - I've ignored those in the garden and flower beds they are now 5 to 7 ft tall about 1 to 1 1/2 inch caliper - wondering how much luck you had transplanting those 3" trees -
a buddy wants my saplings - i planned to dig them up anyway - no tractor just shovels..any recommendations from anyone. He plans to use as root stock for grafting.
I'm new - actually this is my 1st post on the tractor forum - i was surfing for info about transplanting pecan trees. I have several large 80+ft trees, Stuarts. not wanting to move them but they produce seedlings each year - I've ignored those in the garden and flower beds they are now 5 to 7 ft tall about 1 to 1 1/2 inch caliper - wondering how much luck you had transplanting those 3" trees -
a buddy wants my saplings - i planned to dig them up anyway - no tractor just shovels..any recommendations from anyone. He plans to use as root stock for grafting.
Kyle_in_Tex
Super Star Member
A place about 30 miles from here used to grow and transplant. I don't know if they are still in business or not. Maybe the rate of success killed the business too. They used the huge tree spade implements on the back of a big rig. I suggest purchasing from a nursery and using a post hole digger to plant the long tap root. It will take about 3 years for them to kick in and grow.
OP
schoolsout
Veteran Member
They are growing fairly well. Grew them in 5 gallon buckets until end of Summer then planted them and watered them every weekend for first 2 months. Planted another I found growing at work that was 4-5' tall, but didn't put a cage around it and a buck scraped it pretty good all the way around trunk so I am actually planting another beside it tomorrow (store bought pecan) and seeing how long the damaged one will live. Sprayed it with pruning spray a few weeks after the scrape so I'm sure it won't make it come spring, but will be interesting to see how it does. Still have some in buckets that aren't very big (not in a very sunny area) and I'll probably toss them, though. Have a few others from store we got for $12/ea that haven't found a spot for yet.
OP
schoolsout
Veteran Member
as for digging, I'm sure you can get them with shovels. The 4-5'er I got from work was growing right up against building and next to some shrubbery. I probably only got a root of about 1' long. Grew it in a bucket where I could get it established then planted in ground and it did well until the deer got to it.
If I were you, I'd go that route unless your buddy can take care of it on a regular basis wherever he puts it. I used some fairly decent soil (Fox Farm, I believe) and added mycorrhizae (spelling?) fungi to the soil as well. Just do all of the digging when plant is dormant.
If I were you, I'd go that route unless your buddy can take care of it on a regular basis wherever he puts it. I used some fairly decent soil (Fox Farm, I believe) and added mycorrhizae (spelling?) fungi to the soil as well. Just do all of the digging when plant is dormant.
Jose263
New member
Thanks - one of the 7 footers is in a fig bush - probably planted by a squirell -trees are dormant we are going to dig in January. how big a perimeter did you dig and how deep did you go? I believe my buddy plans to pot.
OP
schoolsout
Veteran Member
what I dug up is much less than you think would take for the tree to survive. Not saying it is 100% surefire, but I can confidently say that all the talk of being as careful as can be and get a big root ball (talking smaller stuff here) as machinely possible is not necessary...all the time.
Even the small ones I was digging up, 8-10" seedlings, were having the main taproot getting ripped in the process.
f you can baby it for a few months after the main ripping and digging session, it will live.
Dig it in winter (dormant) and put in pot. Soak soil in pot when you transplant it (I'd use 7 gallon grow bags) and then just keep it moist. All I did and most everything I've ever dug up (walnut, hickory, pecan, etc) have lived.
Good luck!
Oh, and FWIW, I just used an organic regimen of ferts while in pot. Bought a "GO Box" (General Organics) from my peppers/maters and used it for trees as well. I modified the recipe with more of the Nitrogen type stuff and less of the flowering concentrate.
Even the small ones I was digging up, 8-10" seedlings, were having the main taproot getting ripped in the process.
f you can baby it for a few months after the main ripping and digging session, it will live.
Dig it in winter (dormant) and put in pot. Soak soil in pot when you transplant it (I'd use 7 gallon grow bags) and then just keep it moist. All I did and most everything I've ever dug up (walnut, hickory, pecan, etc) have lived.
Good luck!
Oh, and FWIW, I just used an organic regimen of ferts while in pot. Bought a "GO Box" (General Organics) from my peppers/maters and used it for trees as well. I modified the recipe with more of the Nitrogen type stuff and less of the flowering concentrate.
Paddy
Veteran Member
Schoolsout,
I saw a strange method when I was in China. They move trees 6-7" in diameter. They start by cutting the top off at about 12'. I mean not a single branch, looks like a log with a small root ball. As I would drive down the highway, there would be miles of these "logs" planted. Latter in the trip, I'd see older logs with massive amounts of sprouts. finally, nice full grown trees all exactly the same height for the first branching structure.
All I can guess is if the top is removed, much less roots are needed. kind of like a stump growing back after being cut off. As side note, I had a 6" dia wild cherry blow over in a storm once. As it was laying down, I did a major hair cut. Then I hooked up the tractor and stood it back up. Tied a rope to it to secure. Tree is now about 12" dia.
I saw a strange method when I was in China. They move trees 6-7" in diameter. They start by cutting the top off at about 12'. I mean not a single branch, looks like a log with a small root ball. As I would drive down the highway, there would be miles of these "logs" planted. Latter in the trip, I'd see older logs with massive amounts of sprouts. finally, nice full grown trees all exactly the same height for the first branching structure.
All I can guess is if the top is removed, much less roots are needed. kind of like a stump growing back after being cut off. As side note, I had a 6" dia wild cherry blow over in a storm once. As it was laying down, I did a major hair cut. Then I hooked up the tractor and stood it back up. Tied a rope to it to secure. Tree is now about 12" dia.
