# Transplanting pine trees



## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Just bought a home in February. Most of the land is open with a few scattered pines the last owners planted. These pines are 5-6' high and quite bushy.

I want to transplant them near the road to seclude my property. I dug some holes today to prep the move.

So how far down you think the tap root will run on these puppies. How successful do you think ill be. This is about as big as I dare to transplant but would guve me a good start on my screen.

I plan to add two more rows of smaller sapling sized trees behind this row staggered to help the cause.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Try pics again


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## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

Those are good sized, I did the same project 20 years ago with cedars, across the front and both sides. And they are now trimmed hedges at about 6-7 feet, nice wall of green. Mine were smaller to start, you have some heavy lifting to do. Tap roots vary with each species, and the water table I think, but you do see pines of your size wrapped in root balls on landscape trucks all the time. I have no direct experience with your pine type/size. The bigger the better I would think.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

I have tried to transplant some pines/spruce that were a little higher than my knee and most died. I now only move the ones that are below knee height. For sure pines/spruce have a long taproot.
I would bring in a tree moving machine if I was determined to move trees that size on my property. Although, I think it would be cheaper to buy nursery trees this fall when the nurseries have bigger discounts just before their selling season ends.






Maybe this equipment can be rented from a nursery. I still think the taproot would be a problem on trees the size in the photo.

EDIT: This would work better for larger trees. Would be nice if you could rent this for a day.

http://www.treetoad.com/specs.asp

L & O


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

You won't be able to move those by hand. If you can't rent one, see if you can hire one by the hour. You should have a 32" or better for those. We used to do it for $100 hr when in business, probably $150 now. Should be able to get about 6 per hr. In the open. Success will be higher than b&b's

For those moving small trees. 2-3' trees should not be a problem with a digging spade and burlap.

http://cloudfront.zoro.com/product/large/3W438_AS01.JPG


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## Rudi's Dad (May 4, 2004)

Dont forget to call MISS DIG before you cut a buried utility. Costs nothing.
And be sure not to plant under power lines. You are asking for a bad outcome later on.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Yeah thats one issue. Power line over head. Im trying to give the line some extra space. Pines wont grow into the line too bad and trimming should keep them safe.

Miss dig....im not sure there's much to worry about. There's no septic gas or buried wires to my knowledge. Power lines all run overhead, ill have to double check phone lines. Yeah i guess it wouldnt hurt.


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## slowpoke (Jan 30, 2001)

Any thing that was growing with in 15' of either side of the powder line was cut down to the ground. That's what they did on my 50 up north of Harrison. Here is another way to dig and root ball a tree. 





I would look for a tree spade to rent.


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

Whatever you decide, you should move them before the buds start expanding (which is happening now in S.E. MI.) If you miss that window, wait till the new growth hardens off.

Good luck!


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

I would be reluctant to transplant/plant trees that close to the overhead lines
in your pic, but given they appear to be jack pines, it may not be a problem. My neighbor lost 20 years of growth recently because he planted under power lines and they were removed by Consumers.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

I picked up some cedars today im going to use instead. Started thinking about the height issues... and they are much easier to move.


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## WAUB-MUKWA (Dec 13, 2003)

limige said:


> Just bought a home in February. Most of the land is open with a few scattered pines the last owners planted. These pines are 5-6' high and quite bushy.
> 
> I want to transplant them near the road to seclude my property. I dug some holes today to prep the move.
> 
> ...


The first 5 years or so they are only putting down their tap root. After that you will see the 12"-18" inch a year growth. You can move trees in the months without "R's" but do not leave them bare rooted for anytime. Wrap in burlap and close stitch the burlap by using 10 penny nails.


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## WAUB-MUKWA (Dec 13, 2003)

limige said:


> I picked up some cedars today im going to use instead. Started thinking about the height issues... and they are much easier to move.


Remember jack pines are the weed of pines and look like crap at all stages. White pines will look better and cedars are hard to grow.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Well the cedar was all free. Ornamentals from a buddies new place. He didn't want them.
White pine is what they plant for timber on the national forest correct? They get huge and have little foliage is they are. I need to do more homework on the pine families.


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## slowpoke (Jan 30, 2001)

http://www.norwayspruce.com/
They are fast growing, deer don't usely eat them, limbs are all the way to the ground, make good screen and are easy to look at to the eye. Do a search on this site for other peoples comments on the Norway Spruce..


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## WAUB-MUKWA (Dec 13, 2003)

limige said:


> Well the cedar was all free. Ornamentals from a buddies new place. He didn't want them.
> White pine is what they plant for timber on the national forest correct? They get huge and have little foliage is they are. I need to do more homework on the pine families.


White pine get tall and bush out better than jacks. These are my spruce I got out of a 2 track when they were 2-3 years old and 18". They are almost ten years old and are about 8 feet. 

My neighbors wife is pretty fuggly so I needed to block their living room windows. :yikes:


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Lol

I picked some hose and sprinklers up today. I'm going to water them real well the first year and see if they take. Id like to get some cedar bushes for under the power line.

Found a bunch of smaller pines to transplant behind my shed to seperate the house area from the rear of the property.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

The pics you posted are not Jackpines, but Jackpines definitely are the crappiest conifers. They look like a Norway, or Spruce of some sort. Maybe Scotch Pines? Funny, I've seen a LOT of pine trees that got toppled by wind, and none of them had taproots. They mostly have shallow roots that aren't is big around as the lowest branches extend from the trunk. 

Cedars are great for a screen. They grow slowly, but can be trimmed to be a hedge, or allowed to grow for a taller screen. Very hardy, and simple to grow. It will take a long time for cedars to hit those power lines.


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

Fishndude said:


> The pics you posted are not Jackpines, but Jackpines definitely are the crappiest conifers. They look like a Norway, or Spruce of some sort. Maybe Scotch Pines? Funny, I've seen a LOT of pine trees that got toppled by wind, and none of them had taproots. They mostly have shallow roots that aren't is big around as the lowest branches extend from the trunk.
> 
> Cedars are great for a screen. They grow slowly, but can be trimmed to be a hedge, or allowed to grow for a taller screen. Very hardy, and simple to grow. It will take a long time for cedars to hit those power lines.


I would guess scotch or weak Austrian in the foreground and Austrian in the background. Ditto on the jack pine thoughts although they will grow on blow sand!


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## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

I think the native cedar tree's from Michigan are what I used for all of my "walls of green". Tree's were all free off my land up north, I just walked through and yanked buckets of 1-2 footers (no dirt, just yank!) and then transplanted them ASAP. Cost was my time.
The fancy hybrid one's don't always winter well, my native one's are extremely healthy, I just keep topping them and they fill out and make really nice wind and visual blocks. They stay green all year too. If I let them grow they turn into trees which isn't bad either, but the hybrids that are sold are not native to Mi. and I see many with winter burn, and you cant top em so they fill in to create a wall IMO. I planted about 100-150 of these native one's, lost about 25% and ended up with several really nice walls of green all around my home. I take 1-2 feet off the top each year, birds love em, heat bills are low, dust is low, noise is low. I'm really happy with the long term result.
All my hybrids (maybe 3-4) are getting yanked and pitched so the native stuff can thrive. 
My experience with Pines is they will lose the lower branches as they mature, so we skin them up to eye level so you can see through them.


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