Tree Transplanting Questions

[big bend gyrene]

Praying a board member or two can impart some wisdom my way.

Recently purchased a place with a pretty canopied entrance... BUT... the canopy is currently provided via Bradford pears approaching their end of life (few already lost).

Ok with dealing with the P.I.T.A. the pears will cause, BUT also wanting to act quickly on a plan B for years down the road.

FULLY appreciating the beauty won't hit much during my lifespan (unless I outlast PA 50+ years or so ), I'm thinking of planting live oaks to the outside of the pears and letting them grow so that an owner or two (or three or four) down the road will have a pretty live oak canopy entrance.

So HERE'S the issue at hand... have a friend 3 miles from the new place who bought land with 25 live oaks on it planted just 5 or 6 years ago. The live oaks all look healthy and are probably about 6" in diameter / around 20' tall. He's going to plant his land in pines and has volunteered for me to freely take / transplant what I need (minimum 6, max 10 trees). If I don't take any he's just going to take them down and burn them.

Approaching 50 in the not too distant future, love the idea of getting a 6 year jump start on the live oaks, as well as saving the trees (and getting them for ***free*** if a good deal), BUT for anyone who knows the subject well what will it cost me to have someone use a spade to transplant them 3 miles or so? Worth doing or so cost prohibitive I'll be better off buying sapling and planting them myself? Or can any live oaks about the same age be found at nurseries / planted cheaper than having to spade dig existing ones up? Really love an estimate on a per tree cost basis so I can weigh if it's worthwhile. Anybody even know someone who does such transplanting as a job / side job?
ANY / ALL info on the matter VERY MUCH appreciated!

[Dubble Trubble]

Just call some of the local nurseries. They can give you the rates for spade transplanting. I do not think they will guarantee the tree to live though.

One other thought. Have you just considered removing and then replanting the Bradfords. They grow quickly, and will probably outlast your time there.

Dubble

[wevans]

Many nurseries have the equipment and knowledge to do such things. Give a few a call and see what ya find out

[fireant21]

Tulip Poplars for quick shade in your lifetime.
Live oaks for generational significance.

The live oaks will be more prone to survive the shock if they are root pruned a minimum 8 weeks prior to removal, though that doesn't sound like you have the option here. Realize it will take a Looooong time(12-18 months) for these trees to re-establish given their size and the stress placed upon them (no root pruning). Make sure you are getting the ones that are structurally sound before spending this kind of effort to transplant, (no codominant stems in lower 2/3 of tree, stem girdling roots, one sided canopy, etc.)

Watering is the critical part of establishing new trees. Consistency, consistency, consistency, with the correct amounts. Did I mention consistency? I haven't grown as many as PA, but I establish hundreds of new ones each year. It's a little bit of a gamble, but for comparison sake, wholesale 6" live oak are running around $450-600 a piece for B&B quality material. Tons more info than this, just don't have space here.

[big bend gyrene]

Just in case any tree guy on the forum sees this and DOESN'T agree, here's what the first fella I spoke to said. He said that with a smaller spade the roots have to be pruned before moving, and then the tree left in place a few months before transplant, and that I wouldn't get any guarantees on the trees living, and growth would be slowed a year or two. Said that a bigger spade could cut wide enough to avoid the pruning but the cost would go up. He made it sound like I would be lucky to get it done averaging out $250 to $350 per tree.

Then said that I could purchase container trees about 4" in diamater / 16 to 18' in height for around $300 to $350, and that the positive would be the trees would adapt / grow more quickly than any pruned.

Since the friend offering to have me transplant his did want me to do the work of filling in the holes created by transplanting, and since also guessing wide transplanting would require more prep work at the new place than container planting, if what I'm being told is the straight scoop sounds like container trees with a few years growth on them is my best way to go. Anybody strongly disagree, sure willing to listen, though.

[big bend gyrene]

Fireant, must have been typing while you posted. Did what I share on the container route being advantageous sound right to you? Is that the route you're saying you would take?

[fireant21]

First part is fairly spot on. We don' t transplant, as materials and establishment labor are always cheaper in the long run. Got to be careful when purchasing big trees in the container. They tend to become root bound with multiple circling roots and growers sometimes don't always pot up to the next size appropriately. Florida Grades and Standards say that a 4" tree should be a minimum 12' in height, with a maximum of 22'. Crown spread should be 6.5 feet minimum for #1 material, and a minimum container size of 95 gallons.

I tend to prefer hardened off B&B for anything over 2.5 inches, but 4" is still doable on plastic pots. Just slice those outer circling roots off to stimulate new growth.

[MarkM]

Crape Myrtles???

[fireant21]

???

[big bend gyrene]

Guessing MarkM was referencing Crape Myrtles as an alternative to the Bradford pears. Even if plant the live oaks very well might replace the bradford pears that run close to the road (would be putting the live oaks considerably further out width wise due to size.

Like Crape Myrtles, but as an canopy I've been contemplating drake elms. Sure like the drake elm I had at my old place, and think it could make a decent undestory canopy.

[Barhopr]

Get rid of all of the Spanish moss choking those Pear trees and prune the deadwood back and those Pears will be fine.

[big bend gyrene]

Get rid of all of the Spanish moss choking those Pear trees and prune the deadwood back and those Pears will be fine.

Barhopr, I should have stepped back 60' or so for picture. Two holes already on left side we purchased it... a third fell a month ago (was completely dead) and a 4th not visible in the pic is about 3/4 dead. Some remaining ones are in ok shape but others are heavily overloaded with branches. Property sat largely unattended for 6 or so years and it shows. Will be doing as you advised, as do want save the ones we've still got for as long as we can.

[fireant21]

Good luck with it.

Continue to keep an eye on the Bradford pears. They are a structural mess. Lots of upright branches with poor attachment angles. Codominant limb failures are a regular occurence with these guys.

[MudDucker]

I had three huge live oaks killed at my farm when the guy putting in my slab ignored my stakes and my instructions. I spoke with several tree guys about the problem. They all said the problem was that an oak's root system ran out to the edge of the canopy and did not react well to being disturbed. I asked about transplanting some I knew I could get about a mile away. A neighbor was transplanting pecan trees at the time with a huge spade machine and they were charging him only $150 per tree. Not one of the tree guys offered me much hope for a successful transplant. My neighbor liked the idea anyway and moved two. We are now 8 years down the road and both of those trees are now firewood.

I need a couple of trees to fill out a canopy on another property and I was recommended another pear tree that grows as fast as the bradford, but doesn't have the same structural deficiencies. If my CRS clears and I remember the name of that pear, I will post it.