Tree transplants in hot climates

Alon

First of all, kudo's on the site. It's nice to see professionals sharing info like this. This post kind of got out of hand so I divide it into part 1 (my essential questions) and part 2 (the background story).

Part 1:
I recently moved to Israel and am trying to get active in the local tree industry. I have been meeting with quite a few local experts already, and I am forced to conclude that the standards here are pretty much non- existing. I am finding myself arguing over things that most of us accept as fact, not fiction.

So I need to have some ammunition when arguing my point against a group of local specialists who have been doing it their way for a while, besides just my word as a professional arborist.

1.Does anyone have any documentation on transplanting large trees (preferably in hot climates)?
2.Also, any documentation on the future problems of transplanting trees with a small root ball.
3.Any documentation on damage to tree roots when lifting the tree by the trunk.
4.Any other documentation that can convince people that they way their doing it now will just cause problems in the future.
5.And of course anyone's personal opinion/advice and/or experience with transplants like this in hot climates.

Part 2:
Today for example I went to look at a largish Delonix regia – Flame tree (caliper 20cm) to be transplanted from a nursery to the city. The local specialist (a respected professor from the agricultural university in Cholon) instructed for the tree to be pruned heavily. His reasoning was that the tree needed to reduce transpiration and therefore needs to loose up to 80% of its foliage, both a combination of heavy pruning and just removing leaves by hand. This was, and I quote “to force the tree to go dormant”. He has been doing this quite a while and he claims the survival rate is very good using this technique. Evidently there was limited success with un-pruned or lightly pruned trees and better success with heavily pruned trees.

Now granted I have been doing tree work in less tropical parts so I have less experience with excessive heat and water loss during transplant. I can possibly see how you might want to identify and prune some inner branches, which are more a sink than a source, but 80% seems excessive. Additionally, the tree was planted in a row quite close to other trees and it didn't seem to me there was much potential for a properly sized root ball, a small root ball might be the standard here.

Some background on the climate here, it rains intermittently in winter with temps. of minimal 10 Celcius. The last rain falls in April, May if we're very lucky and then it doesn't rain until September/ October. Temps in summer are 30 C+, up to 40 C.. Also, as a fun side note, they lift the trees by the trunk here.

I hope to be coming with more of these posts since I will need all the help I can find to re-educate people here.

dov

G'day Alon and welcome to treeworld.

As you have recently moved to Israel, it is probably very important that you just sit back and learn for a while. Israel is fairly unique in some ways. For instance, it only really rains during two short periods each year and 60 years ago it was largely unproductive except for small farmed areas. Now you have wonderful forests, huge plantations and gardens.

To get established in the local tree industry, you may have to do things the local way until you have a local reputation. It is expected that they will have different techniques than arborists in more hospitable climates, so just try and understand the rational behind what they are doing. I think adopting an attitude of "Not wrong, just different" might help you a lot - and reduce your stress levels!

Please don't feel that I am telling you that you are wrong. I am not, but local wisdom may prove expedient and accepting local ways, even if eventually you may improve on them, will gain you local acceptance and trust.

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Eric Frei

Use the search button and features .... many of the things you seek are already here.

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dov

Hehe. Good call. Must admit I haven't done that in a while. Prob should start random reading again for general knowledge.

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Alon

First of all, thanks for the replies.

Dov, I do realize I need to sit back, and my stress levels are actually not too bad. However, I want to share my knowledge with whomever is interested and when people ask for my opinion it usually is different. In general it is nicer if I can back my arguments up with research.

Ekka, I have been searching the site, it takes time to read everything I find and I figured maybe someone has some links in their bookmarks. I am new to the tropical climate, although I did climb in Brisbane (but not plant) back in 2000 and the summer in New York is brutal, but not nearly as dry as it is here. Therefore I can use people's advise on some of these tasks.

I am particularly interested in what peoples opinions are about the excessive pruning before transplant in such a hot climate.

Eric Frei

Also what about those sprays you can use to reduce transpiration?

There is also soil/root applications that will minimze growth.

To reduce transpiration and not wound the canopy would be ideal.

LINK

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