Transplanting wild oak trees (small)

[pharmvet]

In preparation for a future house, Im planning to plant approx 40 - 60 oak trees on both sides of my driveway. I have considered using nursery oaks and may end up doing this, but I would like to dig up and transplant small oaks that are already growing on my property. Im talking small trees that are knee / waist high, and have a diameter approx. the size of my thumb.

1) Any suggestions on technique (digging up and moving) are wanted

2) Are there any "specific" tools (spades and shovels) that would make the job easier of more successful (Im wanting specific brands, shapes, designs, etc.)

thanks

 

[Egon]

Just make sure the digging equipment is sharp. :thumbsup:

 

[chucko]

If you have the time to wait. Dig half around and wait a month or two before digging the other half. In the new hole put something that will hold water could be as simple as some shredded up newspaper or those gel things. Water every other day for a while then every third day and so on. works 80-90% of the time nothing is 100%

I have also when out and cut all the way around the tree with a spade and left it for a few weeks with luck. Get as much tap root as you can when you dig it up

 

[Chuck52]

Have you checked with your state conservation department, assuming Texas has one? here in Missouri, I can get bare root trees of many varieties from the state nursery for very little money. There are lots of different oaks, and they are hard to tell apart as saplings, but the state nursery knows!

Chuck

 

[Oldgreybear]

Texas Forest Service https://tfsapps.tamu.edu/wtn/StoreFront/index.aspx
has bare root seedlings for $35 for 24 - 5 or 6 types. I planted a bunch last spring. They did great till the rain left then not so much!

 

[MikeD74T]

I've had the best success transplanting with this type of shovel: UnionTools - UnionPro 16-in Drain Spade with Fiberglass Handle and Ergo D-grip. Gets deep enough to clear tap roots on smaller trees. MikeD74t

 

[Western]

Texas Forest Service https://tfsapps.tamu.edu/wtn/StoreFront/index.aspx
has bare root seedlings for $35 for 24 - 5 or 6 types. I planted a bunch last spring. They did great till the rain left then not so much!

:thumbsup: I have used them 10-15 times, There was one in East Texas (Indian Mound) but it closed. Figure out what you want early and order since they go fast. The hardwoods I have received have been great growers (until this drought) and averaged 12-16" tall.

 

[forgeblast]

If there are things that will gnaw at them tree tubes might be good, or a piece of 4'' perf pipe that you use around the base to keep the weedwacker off of them.

 

[300UGUY]

In preparation for a future house, Im planning to plant approx 40 - 60 oak trees on both sides of my driveway. I have considered using nursery oaks and may end up doing this, but I would like to dig up and transplant small oaks that are already growing on my property. Im talking small trees that are knee / waist high, and have a diameter approx. the size of my thumb.

1) Any suggestions on technique (digging up and moving) are wanted

2) Are there any "specific" tools (spades and shovels) that would make the job easier of more successful (Im wanting specific brands, shapes, designs, etc.)

thanks

I don't know what kind of oaks you guys have down there, but oak trees up here don't grow too fast. Trees that are 4 ft high here now might be 20 footers in 20 years. I have used the state nursery here a couple of times.

 

[PossumHound]

I don't know what kind of oaks you guys have down there, but oak trees up here don't grow too fast. Trees that are 4 ft high here now might be 20 footers in 20 years. I have used the state nursery here a couple of times.

I believe NE Texas has similar climate to here in NC- fairly mild winter, hot, humid summers with around 40" rainfall each year. I had a white oak that volunteered in a flower bed and since there were no trees already in that side yard I let it grow. My son was 2 when I found that tree, and I think the tree was about the same age (knee high). 25 years later the tree is 50' high and the crown is probably that wide with a beautiful globe shape. I was sure happy I didn't pull that sapling up.

PH

 

[bubbacuse77]

If you do transplant I would do it in the spring or fall. Like others said..........take more dirt than you think around the tree and plenty of water for the first year. With oaks expect a 50% or greater mortality rate. The younger the tree the better your rate of success. Older trees have a much larger tap root and stress out easy.

Also if you live in the north keep in mind that you might want to stick to planting white oaks vs red because they are very resistant to oak wilt. Reds are easily affected because they have a smaller diameter vascular system and they break more often from wind damage exposing them to the bugs that carry it. Why spend years nursing these trees up just to see them die later from disease or storm damage.

 

[buck12]

I have nothing to backup my advice except it is what my grandfather and dad taught me years ago. Transplant trees in February and if you plan to plant the tree on a hill get the tree from a hill. If you plan to plant in a low spot get the tree from a low spot. When I bought my current house six years ago I brought two two foot oak trees from the previous house both of which are doing fine. Moved three five or six foot oak trees from the family farm. Two of these trees are doing well and one died the first year. I also bought four three to four foot oak trees from a nursery all of which are doing well. The one key I know is to do as little damage as possible to the root system when digging the tree up. Good luck.

 

[Tollster]

1: Try to dig them up and plant them when they are dormant, (winter months), do not break the root ball.

2: Get a good sharp ditch spade, not a gravel shovel

3: Cut the ball all the way around with the spade, for a thumb size trunk, figure at least 15" diameter, 10"-15" deep..

4: Dig the hole twice as big in diameter, use some good compose and dirt, and make a hump in the middle of the hole for your tree to sit on.Water the hole if its not dormant, 5-10 gallons, let drain.


5: Get the trunk level and at correct height, and backfill,, add mulch and water.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

There is some disagreement as to whether you should amend the soil in the hole when you transplant a tree, particularly if it is in clay soil. If you have an area of rich soil surrounded by poor soil, the roots will stay in the rich soil, creating a root ball that is unstable, so they say.

 

[beppington]

There is some disagreement as to whether you should amend the soil in the hole when you transplant a tree, particularly if it is in clay soil. If you have an area of rich soil surrounded by poor soil, the roots will stay in the rich soil, creating a root ball that is unstable, so they say.

First-hand confirmation of that: I bought a ~6' tall oak, & planted it in amended, rich soil, & for quite a few years the tree's roots only grew in that nearby rich dirt. Even when the tree had grown to about 9'-10' tall & it's trunk was much bigger I could still move the tree all around & watch the root ball pivot in the ground; could've easily pushed it right over. Now it's been about 15 years, & it's roots have ventured further away & it's finally very solid.

 

[jonyyuma]

Around here, we use a 5 gallon bucket with a 1/4 inch hole drilled in the side at the base of bucket. Fill it weekly when dry during the summer. Now the nuserys are using a tree bag that hugs it from all sides, water goes inside?.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I've transplanted a few oaks, just dug them up small with a shovel and put in the ground. I also have a few oak trees that I grew from sprouting acorns.