Large tree transplants

Ekka · 18th July 2009, 08:09 AM

They go to a lot of trouble boxing them up.

treevet · 19th July 2009, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Freeman

Thanks for posting that Eric, good to see them commit time and money to such a tree

, 7 month lead in time is great, hopefully a significant post move care program is to be followed too.

What a great project. Appears to have had a little canopy modification.

What would be the post care involved with a huge tree like this and not end up like the $130,000.00 waste on the Live oak above Sean?

Sean Freeman · 19th July 2009, 12:59 AM

Thats a good question....I don't know what happened in the case of the live oak, such a shame.

I personally believe transplants are never a certainty, we remove around 95% of the absorbing root mass in almost every case..perhaps the Shanghai example is the exception, but even there it is very likely that fine roots were many 10's of meters from the final edge of the root ball.

We are effectively creating containerised specimens, getting them into a stable state, then moving them carefully to their new location, then replanting them and trying to encourage the re-establishment of something approaching the previous root system.

It is critical to spend sufficient time assessing the soil profile, chemistry and biology at the original site and the selected new site, to gain an appreciation of how the individual tree to be moved has adapted to its current environment, and how it might adapt in the new environment.

There are a great many variables to consider, and few useful generalisations that you wont have already considered.

The most successful transplanters I know have incorporated much of what has been learnt through decades of commercial forestry relating to the manipulation of soil chemistry and the last 10-15yrs of increasing insights into the soil food web regarding soil biology.

At its most simple level transplanted trees require enormous attention after the move for more than 12 months to enable them to have access to and take up sufficient water through their dramatically truncated root system.

There are some soil and root stimulants that can make all the difference to the time frames envolved but again many many variables.

willem · 19th July 2009, 12:18 PM

Long time no posts.

Here are some pics of a treemove our company did earlier this year.

Sorry I forgot how to insert them in the reply.

This tree gets 3 years post move careprogram

treevet · 19th July 2009, 12:32 PM

That is just fascinating stuff. A very honorable profession and likely a dieing art.

There are many lessons to be learned and they are applicable to anyone planting balled trees as they are realistically just transplants but the planter is not the digger.

making it an even more difficult proposition.

Sean Freeman · 19th July 2009, 06:24 PM

Great pics Willem...if a little small!

Never mind still great work

TrevMcRev · 20th July 2009, 11:17 AM

Anyone know the species of the tree in China?

Interesting idea with the canopy scaffolding.....

While it still would have lost plenty of roots they have managed to keep to about dripline by the look of it. A whole lot better than most of the very large transplants you see pics of.

With good after care it could stand a fair chance.

Sean Freeman · 13th November 2009, 07:31 PM

I kept meaning to photograph this one and put it up here or on my own blog, here will do.

A while back some of us were having a heated debate about transplanting larger trees and whether it was ok to basically move stumps....severely lopped canopies with greatly reduced root balls.

Anyway these pics are NOT by way of flaming anyone or suggesting that they prove anything definatively, however they are what they are...pics of a medium/small delonix that was moved in the Varsity Lakes suburb of the Gold Coast some 10-12yrs ago.

To my knowledge (it was before I lived down here) the tree was moved by an earth moving company not Arborists.

I used to live in Varsity Lakes and passed this tree twice a day for 12 months, thought it looked okay and provided good amenity to the pocket park, I knew it had been moved (as you will see not really too hard to tell)

Anyway today I was working in the area and driving back to the office as the sun went down thought I'd snap some pics and put them up....I would argue that this is the best one could expect from such relocations, I think the tree is declining, no doubt remediation could help and might enable another 20-30yrs of life.

There has been root growth beyond the cut root ball but the light was not great....the roots have been hammered by mowers etc...

The stem shows signs of decay and declining vigour...not sure of the stem was drilled, but there are idications of major bark tearing slings perhaps?

The canopy regrowth is there and supports reasonable foliage during summer but it is well below 40% of the live volume you would expect

Some of the regrowth seems to have declined and died in the last few months, maybe it will pick up again if we get rains...

So my point is this....for me if someone has a business that offer tree relocations and they lop and chop the tree they move as standard practice fine so long as they are open and honest with their clients about just what it is they are offering them.

As I have said above the tree is attractive when in flower, it does add significantly to the amenity of the streetscape....however would I expect to pay top dollar for such a relocation job? Should such a job be presented as best practice?

Not in my opinion.

Was it worth saving the tree, despite the damage inflicted and the reduction in its life span and its potential?

I think it was definately worth saving....of course I have no idea how much was charged or who paid for it.

Ekka · 12th March 2010, 06:44 AM

Check this machine out.

YouTube - TRANSPLANTADORA OPTIMAL 3000 www.tree-replant.com info@tree

TrevMcRev · 12th March 2010, 09:15 PM

Interesting idea of a machine.

But i'd suggest they're moving way bigger trees than the rootball it grabs.

Perhaps its just an efficient way of doing complete tree removal, no stump grinder needed

And right at the end they are transplanting a lopped tree

Pehaps there is a place for it afterall

18th July 2009, 08:09 AM	#121
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort & Seldom Wrong Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,788	Re: Large tree transplants They go to a lot of trouble boxing them up. __________________ 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

19th July 2009, 12:59 AM	#123
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 Thats a good question....I don't know what happened in the case of the live oak, such a shame. I personally believe transplants are never a certainty, we remove around 95% of the absorbing root mass in almost every case..perhaps the Shanghai example is the exception, but even there it is very likely that fine roots were many 10's of meters from the final edge of the root ball. We are effectively creating containerised specimens, getting them into a stable state, then moving them carefully to their new location, then replanting them and trying to encourage the re-establishment of something approaching the previous root system. It is critical to spend sufficient time assessing the soil profile, chemistry and biology at the original site and the selected new site, to gain an appreciation of how the individual tree to be moved has adapted to its current environment, and how it might adapt in the new environment. There are a great many variables to consider, and few useful generalisations that you wont have already considered. The most successful transplanters I know have incorporated much of what has been learnt through decades of commercial forestry relating to the manipulation of soil chemistry and the last 10-15yrs of increasing insights into the soil food web regarding soil biology. At its most simple level transplanted trees require enormous attention after the move for more than 12 months to enable them to have access to and take up sufficient water through their dramatically truncated root system. There are some soil and root stimulants that can make all the difference to the time frames envolved but again many many variables. __________________ 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

19th July 2009, 12:32 PM	#125
treevet Monument Status Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Posts: 2,373	Re: Large tree transplants That is just fascinating stuff. A very honorable profession and likely a dieing art. There are many lessons to be learned and they are applicable to anyone planting balled trees as they are realistically just transplants but the planter is not the digger. making it an even more difficult proposition.

19th July 2009, 06:24 PM	#126
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 Great pics Willem...if a little small! Never mind still great work __________________ 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

20th July 2009, 11:17 AM	#127
TrevMcRev Sponsor Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 1,429	Re: Large tree transplants Anyone know the species of the tree in China? Interesting idea with the canopy scaffolding..... While it still would have lost plenty of roots they have managed to keep to about dripline by the look of it. A whole lot better than most of the very large transplants you see pics of. With good after care it could stand a fair chance. __________________ 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

12th March 2010, 06:44 AM	#129
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort & Seldom Wrong Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,788	Re: Large tree transplants Check this machine out. YouTube - TRANSPLANTADORA OPTIMAL 3000 www.tree-replant.com info@tree __________________ 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 March 2010, 09:15 PM	#130
TrevMcRev Sponsor Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 1,429	Re: Large tree transplants Interesting idea of a machine. But i'd suggest they're moving way bigger trees than the rootball it grabs. Perhaps its just an efficient way of doing complete tree removal, no stump grinder needed And right at the end they are transplanting a lopped tree Pehaps there is a place for it afterall __________________ 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

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