Large tree transplants

Sean Freeman · 15th November 2007, 09:06 PM

Latest pics of our babies, almost at the end of the post transplant care period, I'll be writing to the developer to suggest they extend the care period another two months for the second tree as it still hasn't produced the kind of foliage (size volume and pattern) that I'd be truely happy about leaving uncared for.
But all in all very happy with the speed of root re-establishment, due in the main to the efforts of Tim in watering and treating the soil on a weekly basis for the past 7 months

Ekka · 15th November 2007, 09:23 PM

Nice, they're getting the best care they can.

PS: What's the deal with all the grass under them?

Sean Freeman · 15th November 2007, 10:00 PM

Ha ha that's grown through the outer edges of the mulch since Tim's been watering and drenching the soil

We would have spread more mulch but no way to get the truck in there...wheel barrows maybe or a small bobcat.frankly we've not had the time...couch seems to like the soil treatments too!!

treekiwi · 16th November 2007, 07:32 AM

Hi guys,
just wondering if you guys had thought of using an airspade for the intial cut and blowert the dirt away istead of applying water blaster pressure, just an idea, had 2 airspades imported for use at my previous employer, work well in the right situation...

Untitled Document

Sean Freeman · 16th November 2007, 05:51 PM

G'day mate

..yeah we did but our airknife is homemade and did (stil doesn't) have enough force to accomplish the task, a bought supersonic model would have done the job yes.

Mike Poor · 17th December 2007, 04:17 PM

MAN!!! Sean Those Lg. transplants always amaze me!

Oldtimer · 12th February 2008, 02:09 AM

Silly Question... How expensive is an operation like this with years of planning, tons of tools, heavy equipment and manpower? I assume that this developer had more money than common sense but ouch his credit card must still be burning hot for those trees to be moved.

Sometime back I saw some photos on line of a large tree move in California of some large oaks at the University of California ( I think).
There were protestors living on the trees for a year or so before they compromised and the University agreed to move the trees rather than chop them down. Those trees appeared larger in size, older and probably very valuable but they were on the way of the construction of a new (American)football stadium. You know, in the US we have our priorities a bit screwed up, football is more important than education! ( apparently it makes more money too!) The coach at the local University makes 2.5 million per year while the University President (the Big Boss) makes only 500K.

By the way Thanks Sean for posting all the info and the photos, great job!

Oldtimer · 12th February 2008, 02:25 AM

Link to the save the trees story in Berkeley California.
At the University of California-Berkeley, Save a Tree and Stop an Earthquake? - The Paper Trail (usnews.com)

The web site started by the people trying to save the Oaks
Main

Photos of the tree sitting crews
24 Hour Community Tree Sit-In - Memorial Oak Grove - a photoset on Flickr

It is amazingthe sentiments that a tree will create in people. When my 3 large Live oaks got infected with Oak Wilt and started to die I felt like I was loosing a member of my family. People would walk by and ask me how the trees were doing and wishing that they would survive, knowing well they were all dying.

kailas · 2nd May 2008, 03:35 AM

Quite same tecnic our company is using for few year by now, it's a Spanish patent from our friend Gerard,we did quite few jobs in Italy with this tecnic.
Next week I'll have to go to Barcellona to transplant a 20 ton Magnolia, and while we are there after we will go to look to a quite huge transplant of a 180 tons tree..
I'll send picture..

this are transplant of a quite big platanus we did for Milano municipality

www.IlTerzoAlbero.com

DendroTec.it

DoctorArbol

Ekka · 2nd May 2008, 10:57 AM

Sean, look at the beautiful soil they got over there!

You'd near on need a rock breaker here for that depth. LOL

Nice pics, thanks kailas

How come no nice root cutting and sacking the sides to prevent dehydration? Cold, dormant etc??

kailas · 5th May 2008, 12:49 AM

Yeah, was cold, think was autumn, so there was not too much problem for dehidratation, and sincerely we never cover the side,
actually we cut carefully large and medium roots, the little ones are usually left as they come..i mean, there is no need to cut them straight to the side.. and the big ones if they give no problem to fit in the hole.
usually we work a bit the ground with air spade to release more ground and heaviness, so it come that the roots are exposed out the ground side..
Ciao

franc · 9th May 2008, 09:17 PM

WoW....................impressive..!!.

Treedoc · 10th May 2008, 03:14 PM

Eric,

Didn't realise Eucalyptus could not be moved! What should we do with all the ones that have been moved ... cut them down? The only question on transplantability is budget!

I would be interested in seeing the hazard assessment and the engineering on the system. The truth of the matter is that Sean did a great job that had lots of learning in it for him and he was bold enough to own up to it. Full marks.

Sean, a beam does not have a "life". Use heavier beams, plate them top and bottom and box them in if required. Correctly engineered beams will last you a life time. Avoid the undercutting by using heavier walled pipes and lifting from one side first.

Eric, there was never a single tree moved in Qld for a million or more ... it's amazing how rumours start and spread. To my knowledge the largest tree moved to date on the Gold Coast is a Ficus virens ... moved using a Disney pin sysytem. The cost given most likely includes the land (which would have been parkland in any case) and the extra figs moved on the project.

Mark

Treedoc · 10th May 2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osb_mail

I think it would be hard for a person to make money moving trees like this it looks like a whole lot of money wrapped up in one tree ? .

The largest tree moving organisation in the world is Environmental Design. It is a beautifully run companny that turns over millions of dollars a month. Profitable? I'd say so!

Ekka · 10th May 2008, 07:01 PM

The Gold Coast one I think was a 120T move.

This one here was supposedly a 160T move.

Ficus virens transplant.

There was also a ficus moved on Royal Brisbane golf course
Save the private tree cost $260,000 paid by Brisbane City Council

What's the biggest you've moved? Any pics?

willem · 12th June 2008, 09:33 AM

Hello to all treefanatics from the netherlands. Just signed up and looking forward to enlarge my treeknowledge on this site. Here are some pictures of a tree re-location I took on this winter. A Sequoiadendron weighing over 70 tons, a rootpack of 5 x 5 x 1,5 meters

DBS · 12th June 2008, 11:17 AM

Sean should be by any minute now...

nice pics! welcome to Tree World

Sean Freeman · 12th June 2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Sean should be by any minute now...

Ha ha, you know it!

Hello and welcome Willem great lift! A few questions..if you have time to answer....
How long was the tree root ball cut before undermining and lifting? Fantastic fine root development along the edge of the root ball we can see.
Were the pipes arranged along the edges for soil treatment? and if so why use that technique over say soil drenching from the surface?
The pipes forming the lifting frame...100mm diameter? Hard to see from the pics how they could have been installed assume that the end of the excavation had been backfilled before the lift.
Really like the undermining technique to break soil suction and root connection under the root crown....approx 40 pipes by my reckoning, do you know the wall thickness and if the pipes were drill steel or plain pipe?

Sorry for so many questions, not trying to trip anyone up just REALLY interested...great pics

and great job

....its all down to the establishment care now eh???

Ekka · 12th June 2008, 09:27 PM

Love it, just shows the world doesn't revolve around Sir Mark Hartley aka Treedoc!

newguy18 · 13th June 2008, 01:08 AM

,its good to see a tree given a second chance rather than being removed.

willem · 14th June 2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Freeman

Ha ha, you know it!

Hello and welcome Willem great lift! A few questions..if you have time to answer....
How long was the tree root ball cut before undermining and lifting? Fantastic fine root development along the edge of the root ball we can see.
Were the pipes arranged along the edges for soil treatment? and if so why use that technique over say soil drenching from the surface?
The pipes forming the lifting frame...100mm diameter? Hard to see from the pics how they could have been installed assume that the end of the excavation had been backfilled before the lift.
Really like the undermining technique to break soil suction and root connection under the root crown....approx 40 pipes by my reckoning, do you know the wall thickness and if the pipes were drill steel or plain pipe?

Sorry for so many questions, not trying to trip anyone up just REALLY interested...great pics

and great job

....its all down to the establishment care now eh???

Hello Sean,
Some answers to your questions. The rootball was cut one year in advance, and covered in plastic then backfilled. Root regrowth is helped by liquid fertilizer injection. The pipes are for pumping out goundwater otherwise the pitt would fill up with water.
The pipes are standard scafoldingpipes but they are less then 100mm thick. We install them with a device that works on airpressure and pushes them under the tree
. With this tree we used pipes with 400mm space between two pipes. We put the pipes just under the last roots. In Holland this is not so deep because of groundwater.

YouTube - BSI Bomenservice - Verplanting Vleugelnoot

kiwi_tree_steve · 23rd June 2008, 08:43 PM

Awesome pics man, looks like you got a real professional approach to transplanting!

TrevMcRev · 24th June 2008, 10:37 AM

Nice work!

Looks like the tree had some heavy height reduction prior.

Was this part of the transplanting plan? Or coincidence...

willem · 27th June 2008, 04:28 PM

Hello Trev,

You mean the topping of the tree. We had nothing to do with that. This a stupid story . A few years back some guys put Christmas lighting in the tree but they were scared to go all the way up so the thought why don´t we make the tree a bit less tall and topped the tree.
We do prune trees before transplant but only 5 to 10% compensationpruning.

Willem

Ekka · 18th July 2008, 10:49 PM

Giant boab tree from the Kimberley to be transplanted in Perth - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Quote:

A giant boab tree from the Kimberley is expected to arrive in Perth on Saturday to be transplanted in Kings Park.

The tree is believed to be 750-years-old, and is making the 3,200 kilometre journey on the back of a truck.

Digby Growns from the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority says once the 36 tonne tree arrives in the city crews will be on hand to lift power lines and remove street signs to make way for the load.

"We've got Western Power, they're doing the line lifts," he said.

"Main Roads are helping with the signs. The councils are pruning trees, so it's a real community effort."

Galbee · 19th July 2008, 06:25 AM

will that tree survive?
the root ball is none existent, major roots severed close to the base , no soil, no fine haired roots for oxygen, water and nutrient uptake, no soil for ph balance. am i wrong? or do these trees set easily?
great picture ekka

phill ellison · 19th July 2008, 11:49 AM

It will be a right bugger if it not survive after all the effort and the cost

willem · 19th July 2008, 07:23 PM

I'm also eager to know if this one is going to survive. I would like to know how boab trees react to this kind of treatment. If it survives this then it is a great species for relocating and planting is urban areas. If I should transplant this tree I would reccomand a root ball of at 5 by 5 meters but then it would weigh much more and don't fit on the truck any more.
If you can get the info Ekka pleas let us know if it survived and maybe some pictures of the tree on its new location with the rigging to keep it in place.

kimtree · 19th July 2008, 11:22 PM

Boab trees generally dont have much of a root system,up here they are a popular choice for transplanting because they seem to have a good survival rate as long as you can keep them upright,however they do suffer from travel damage easily

phill ellison · 20th July 2008, 09:20 AM

cheers mate

15th November 2007, 09:23 PM	#62
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort & Seldom Wrong Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,767	Re: Large tree transplants Nice, they're getting the best care they can. PS: What's the deal with all the grass under them? __________________ TAS Training & Assessment Services\| Arb and Hort Training available here Free Online Tree Value Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online TPZ and SRZ AS4970-2009 Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online Tree Surface Area and Tree Volume Calculator by TreeWorld Free Tree and Green Industry Deep Link Directory ... Yes, I also SEO (Optimize) and build websites that fly high in Google Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist, Tree and Arborist Reports \| Project Arborist

15th November 2007, 10:00 PM	#63
Sean Freeman PDF King & Arborist Extrodinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Townsville Nth Queensland & Gold Coast Sth Queensland Posts: 2,155	Re: Large tree transplants Ha ha that's grown through the outer edges of the mulch since Tim's been watering and drenching the soil We would have spread more mulch but no way to get the truck in there...wheel barrows maybe or a small bobcat.frankly we've not had the time...couch seems to like the soil treatments too!! __________________ Sean Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, That we may record our emptiness. - Kahlil Gibran http://wanderingarborist.blogspot.com/ http://veterantreegroup.blogspot.com/ http://www.youtube.com/user/VeteranTreeGroup

16th November 2007, 07:32 AM	#64
treekiwi Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4) + Diploma in Arboriculture (Level 6) Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 268	Re: Large tree transplants Hi guys, just wondering if you guys had thought of using an airspade for the intial cut and blowert the dirt away istead of applying water blaster pressure, just an idea, had 2 airspades imported for use at my previous employer, work well in the right situation... Untitled Document

16th November 2007, 05:51 PM	#65
Sean Freeman PDF King & Arborist Extrodinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Townsville Nth Queensland & Gold Coast Sth Queensland Posts: 2,155	Re: Large tree transplants G'day mate..yeah we did but our airknife is homemade and did (stil doesn't) have enough force to accomplish the task, a bought supersonic model would have done the job yes. __________________ Sean Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, That we may record our emptiness. - Kahlil Gibran http://wanderingarborist.blogspot.com/ http://veterantreegroup.blogspot.com/ http://www.youtube.com/user/VeteranTreeGroup

17th December 2007, 04:17 PM	#66
Mike Poor Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Urbana, IL,usa Posts: 70	Re: Large tree transplants MAN!!! Sean Those Lg. transplants always amaze me!

12th February 2008, 02:09 AM	#67
Oldtimer Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Austin TX Posts: 105	Re: Large tree transplants Silly Question... How expensive is an operation like this with years of planning, tons of tools, heavy equipment and manpower? I assume that this developer had more money than common sense but ouch his credit card must still be burning hot for those trees to be moved. Sometime back I saw some photos on line of a large tree move in California of some large oaks at the University of California ( I think). There were protestors living on the trees for a year or so before they compromised and the University agreed to move the trees rather than chop them down. Those trees appeared larger in size, older and probably very valuable but they were on the way of the construction of a new (American)football stadium. You know, in the US we have our priorities a bit screwed up, football is more important than education! ( apparently it makes more money too!) The coach at the local University makes 2.5 million per year while the University President (the Big Boss) makes only 500K. By the way Thanks Sean for posting all the info and the photos, great job!

12th February 2008, 02:25 AM	#68
Oldtimer Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Austin TX Posts: 105	Re: Large tree transplants Link to the save the trees story in Berkeley California. At the University of California-Berkeley, Save a Tree and Stop an Earthquake? - The Paper Trail (usnews.com) The web site started by the people trying to save the Oaks Main Photos of the tree sitting crews 24 Hour Community Tree Sit-In - Memorial Oak Grove - a photoset on Flickr It is amazingthe sentiments that a tree will create in people. When my 3 large Live oaks got infected with Oak Wilt and started to die I felt like I was loosing a member of my family. People would walk by and ask me how the trees were doing and wishing that they would survive, knowing well they were all dying.

2nd May 2008, 03:35 AM	#69
kailas Sappling Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: italy Posts: 17	Re: Large tree transplants Quite same tecnic our company is using for few year by now, it's a Spanish patent from our friend Gerard,we did quite few jobs in Italy with this tecnic. Next week I'll have to go to Barcellona to transplant a 20 ton Magnolia, and while we are there after we will go to look to a quite huge transplant of a 180 tons tree.. I'll send picture.. this are transplant of a quite big platanus we did for Milano municipality www.IlTerzoAlbero.com DendroTec.it DoctorArbol

2nd May 2008, 10:57 AM	#70
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort & Seldom Wrong Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,767	Re: Large tree transplants Sean, look at the beautiful soil they got over there! You'd near on need a rock breaker here for that depth. LOL Nice pics, thanks kailas How come no nice root cutting and sacking the sides to prevent dehydration? Cold, dormant etc?? __________________ TAS Training & Assessment Services\| Arb and Hort Training available here Free Online Tree Value Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online TPZ and SRZ AS4970-2009 Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online Tree Surface Area and Tree Volume Calculator by TreeWorld Free Tree and Green Industry Deep Link Directory ... Yes, I also SEO (Optimize) and build websites that fly high in Google Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist, Tree and Arborist Reports \| Project Arborist

5th May 2008, 12:49 AM	#71
kailas Sappling Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: italy Posts: 17	Re: Large tree transplants Yeah, was cold, think was autumn, so there was not too much problem for dehidratation, and sincerely we never cover the side, actually we cut carefully large and medium roots, the little ones are usually left as they come..i mean, there is no need to cut them straight to the side.. and the big ones if they give no problem to fit in the hole. usually we work a bit the ground with air spade to release more ground and heaviness, so it come that the roots are exposed out the ground side.. Ciao

9th May 2008, 09:17 PM	#72
franc Sappling Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 7	Re: Large tree transplants WoW....................impressive..!!.

10th May 2008, 03:14 PM	#73
Treedoc Former Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sydney Posts: 21	Re: Large tree transplants Eric, Didn't realise Eucalyptus could not be moved! What should we do with all the ones that have been moved ... cut them down? The only question on transplantability is budget! I would be interested in seeing the hazard assessment and the engineering on the system. The truth of the matter is that Sean did a great job that had lots of learning in it for him and he was bold enough to own up to it. Full marks. Sean, a beam does not have a "life". Use heavier beams, plate them top and bottom and box them in if required. Correctly engineered beams will last you a life time. Avoid the undercutting by using heavier walled pipes and lifting from one side first. Eric, there was never a single tree moved in Qld for a million or more ... it's amazing how rumours start and spread. To my knowledge the largest tree moved to date on the Gold Coast is a Ficus virens ... moved using a Disney pin sysytem. The cost given most likely includes the land (which would have been parkland in any case) and the extra figs moved on the project. Mark

10th May 2008, 07:01 PM	#75
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort & Seldom Wrong Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,767	Re: Large tree transplants The Gold Coast one I think was a 120T move. This one here was supposedly a 160T move. Ficus virens transplant. There was also a ficus moved on Royal Brisbane golf course Save the private tree cost $260,000 paid by Brisbane City Council What's the biggest you've moved? Any pics? __________________ TAS Training & Assessment Services\| Arb and Hort Training available here Free Online Tree Value Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online TPZ and SRZ AS4970-2009 Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online Tree Surface Area and Tree Volume Calculator by TreeWorld Free Tree and Green Industry Deep Link Directory ... Yes, I also SEO (Optimize) and build websites that fly high in Google Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist, Tree and Arborist Reports \| Project Arborist

12th June 2008, 11:17 AM	#77
DBS Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: CT USA Posts: 204	Re: Welcome ..... Sean should be by any minute now... nice pics! welcome to Tree World __________________ Stihl MS 200T Stihl MS 361

12th June 2008, 09:27 PM	#79
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort & Seldom Wrong Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,767	Re: Welcome ..... Love it, just shows the world doesn't revolve around Sir Mark Hartley aka Treedoc! __________________ TAS Training & Assessment Services\| Arb and Hort Training available here Free Online Tree Value Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online TPZ and SRZ AS4970-2009 Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online Tree Surface Area and Tree Volume Calculator by TreeWorld Free Tree and Green Industry Deep Link Directory ... Yes, I also SEO (Optimize) and build websites that fly high in Google Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist, Tree and Arborist Reports \| Project Arborist

13th June 2008, 01:08 AM	#80
newguy18 Part of the Furniture Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: orlando,fl Posts: 5,184	Re: Welcome ..... ,its good to see a tree given a second chance rather than being removed. __________________ Have your say join us today. I ship USA saws out of the USA old schooler

23rd June 2008, 08:43 PM	#82
kiwi_tree_steve Mature tree Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: BC. Canada Posts: 344	Re: Large tree transplants Awesome pics man, looks like you got a real professional approach to transplanting! __________________ "You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

24th June 2008, 10:37 AM	#83
TrevMcRev Sponsor Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 1,428	Re: Large tree transplants Nice work! Looks like the tree had some heavy height reduction prior. Was this part of the transplanting plan? Or coincidence... __________________ Total Tree Care - Melbourne Arborist Reports & Consulting,Tree Pruning & Removal \| Elm Leaf Beetle Treatment Melbourne www.treegear.com.au - Australia's Best Value Arborist Supplies

27th June 2008, 04:28 PM	#84
willem Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: the netherlands Posts: 169	Re: Large tree transplants Hello Trev, You mean the topping of the tree. We had nothing to do with that. This a stupid story . A few years back some guys put Christmas lighting in the tree but they were scared to go all the way up so the thought why don´t we make the tree a bit less tall and topped the tree. We do prune trees before transplant but only 5 to 10% compensationpruning. Willem

19th July 2008, 06:25 AM	#86
Galbee Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Aus Posts: 1,187	Re: Large tree transplants will that tree survive? the root ball is none existent, major roots severed close to the base , no soil, no fine haired roots for oxygen, water and nutrient uptake, no soil for ph balance. am i wrong? or do these trees set easily? great picture ekka

19th July 2008, 11:49 AM	#87
phill ellison Mature tree Join Date: May 2008 Location: new zealand Posts: 450	Re: Large tree transplants It will be a right bugger if it not survive after all the effort and the cost

19th July 2008, 11:22 PM	#89
kimtree Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: May 2007 Location: Kununurra WA Posts: 136	Re: Large tree transplants Boab trees generally dont have much of a root system,up here they are a popular choice for transplanting because they seem to have a good survival rate as long as you can keep them upright,however they do suffer from travel damage easily

20th July 2008, 09:20 AM	#90
phill ellison Mature tree Join Date: May 2008 Location: new zealand Posts: 450	Re: Large tree transplants cheers mate

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