# Transplanting trees in late summer/early fall



## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

So, I am full of questions lately. Just bought a house on 10.5 acres in southern Lapeer county. It has about 3.5 acres of woods and the rest is grass/weeds. I received permission from a friend with local property that said I could take as many saplings (2-3ft with 1" diamater trunk) as I wanted and transplant them to my property. I am wondering who has had success moving small, wild trees to their land specifically in the late summer early fall (August/September)? I am looking for a variety of hardwoods and would like to get them in the ground shortly after I move. 

Second, I am not an arborist or forester, so tree identification is not my thing. Sure, I can tell a maple from an oak, but I cant tell a small silver maple from a small red maple or norway maple.. Is there a decent tree ID guide with photos that you would recommend?? Also, are there hardwoods that grow faster than others or are more tolerant of being transplanted? Would like a few faster growing shade trees for the east and west sides of the house (I will be sure not to plant them too close to one another or to the house, well or septc). I heard red oak are faster growing but possibly hard to transplant? Thoughts?

Also considering planting apple and pear trees at the same time. I know this is a completely different animal, but would like thoughts on timing with these I well. I know I have to cage them and protect their trunks from mice/voles/rabbits. 

In the end, I would like to have a nicer piece of treed property that is friendly to wildlife. Looking at the apple and pear tress not only for the deer, but to eat, can, and preserve. 

Any and all opinions/advice is appreciated. 
Thanks


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

I have got away with moving pines and maples year round, though on a limited basis.
Smaller is better...as cutting roots or exposing them to sunlight seems to hurt them.
Cutting soil out to the dripline and removing the well earthed root ball gives the best results. The saplings you mentioned size sounds great for ease of transplant labor size. Maples with a single leader are better in my opinion than a deer browsed one with many leaders ,or a forked trunk with two leaders.
Root damage can stunt a tree , or worse.

Oaks are nice ,but have acidic leaves if you don' t keep them off a lawn. Places that sell trees will have pictures too if a book is not convienent.
You will need a plan in place to water them until they are re- established. 
Put/ lightly pack root ball and any fill earth firm but not hardpacked and not so loose and airy that roots fine hairs dry out.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

No other comments on this? Thoughts? Opinions?


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

I have moved a good number of trees over the past 15 years. After the 1st year I never tried to move anything over 18". 12" is perfect. Less work, better survival.
I cage all oaks so the deer can't eat them.

L & O


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

Liver and Onions said:


> I have moved a good number of trees over the past 15 years. After the 1st year I never tried to move anything over 18". 12" is perfect. Less work, better survival.
> I cage all oaks so the deer can't eat them.
> 
> L & O


I agree with L&O. The tap root is often about the same length and the tree is tall. I prefer not to break the tap root if I can help it. I have moved Maple, black walnut and oak. In my case I was moving them into my yard. I have one maple my sister gave me. It was growing in her window well, it's got to be almost 40 feet tall now.


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## PerchOnly (Oct 24, 2007)

For me maple are fast growers, elms are good growers also, oaks the slowest. I like the 12-18" size too, best success. I also seem to do better in spring than fall, but a lot seems to depend upon the weather, the wetter, the better.


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## Bms (Aug 18, 2015)

You really don't want to be moving trees until they are dormant you will have tons better results, also if you've got a bunch, you would be much better off hiring or renting a tree spade


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

One one of my places I have a tree nursery.
I dig wild trees, place them in a 3 gal pot, and grow them for at least a year. Then place and plant them the following spring. Neat little collections of trees.

Why is that? Because they get watered by a timer. And they get a year in native soil. So they are ready for local planting.
Almost all my transplanting losses have been from lack of water FWIW.
My losses declined substantially when I went this way.
Now I can dig trees I want, when I want, grow them, prune them, and then transplant them with few losses. I put two per/ 5 gal pail filled with their soil for the ride home. Wet it and lay them down in the truck


It's hard going beyond an honest inch and keeping the tree vigorous on the transplant.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

Thanks guys.....yeah, I am going to stick with the smaller trees and cage anything I feel like the deer will decimate. I would like a few shade trees to plant on the east and west sides of the house (not too close I know). Suggestions on faster growing non-brittle shade varieties? My 10 acre parcel has a lot of "side lot" so I need to fill some of that in. 

I am going to try and Plant as many 12 inchers as I can this September. I have no problem watering them weekly. My hope is that I won't have huge losses because the trees are not dormant in September. But, with a good planting routine and keeping the roots moist while transporting, I feel like I may be ok. Please tell me if I should wait until November or even early spring. 

I just bought two tree ID books..
Trees of michigan by Stan Tekiela and
Trees of michigan and the upper great lakes by Norman smith.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

Watering freshly planted trees is 1000 times harder than you think.

As far as a pretty, fast growing shade tree, There's a Sugar maple, silver maple cross that has the fall color, hardiness, of the Sugar, and fast growth of the Silver. Not a brush dropper either.

I planted a couple just for the canopy color and fast growth, where I lost some big Ash trees.

Ask a nursery about them.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

MIoutdoorsjunkie said:


> I am going to try and Plant as many 12 inchers as I can this September. I have no problem watering them weekly. My hope is that I won't have huge losses because the trees are not dormant in September. ..............


Another option would be to mark those trees this fall. Those skinny, orange markers used by snow removal guys work well. Then transplant in spring before the leaves emerge. I never water those small trees(unless it is sandy soil) with good survival. The suggestion by Gamekeeper was excellent if you want to do the extra work. Pretty sure that they would grow quicker too.
If planting into a grassy/weedy area, kill that vegetation this fall. About the size of a Hula-hoop. You may need to mark this too to help your memory. Landscape material around tree so no need to return to kill grass again. 

L & O


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

Yeah....I know watering a bunch of newly planted trees will be a pain, but I am talking about 20 or so trees this fall, not 100. I think I can swing that, weekly for 2 months or so until the autumn rains come and the the ground freezes. 

I will take a look at the maples you suggested. Not against buying a few nice trees from a nursery that will be planted near the house. I bought a 4 foot whip autumn blaze maple a few years back from home depot for my 1 acre lot where I live now. Planted it and barely watered it at all. Now it is about 25 feet tall and really nice looking.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

Thanks guys!. L&O I am going to try my luck with a late summe planting and watering regimen. I have a mini hay wagon (5x8ft) that I can load up with 5 gallon buckets of water and pull around the mostly barren side acerage without too much trouble once a week. Figure if I can gI've the trasplants a good start before the freeze, I will be ahead of the game come spring. 

Any of you guys have luck with sycamore? Reading that the sycamore is fast growing, very large, and easily transplanted. What about red oak? Reading the same about them..... Ideally I would like to get a variety....quaking aspen, oak, crab apple, dogwood, maples, oak etc. Wht I can't find on my buddies property, I am sure I can buy. Found a good bare root nursery in freesoil, mi that seems to stock a lot of trees. If I buy from them I will have to wait until spring though.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

MIoutdoorsjunkie said:


> Also considering planting apple and pear trees at the same time. I know this is a completely different animal, but would like thoughts on timing with these I well. I know I have to cage them and protect their trunks from mice/voles/rabbits.
> 
> ......


I'll suggest Keifer pear. Later drop for deer. You can plant just 1 in an area. Deer love the Bartlett pear, but they are gone by mid-September. Also late drop apples.
I'll also suggest American Chestnut, not Horse Chestnut.
You asked about Red Oak, I have found them to be very easy to transplant. Slower growth, especially if they have to compete with grass or in a shady area.


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## HORNSnHOOKS (Mar 25, 2017)

I've made a small hobby out of moving trees from all over onto my property. I've learned a lot doing so by just trial and error. I agree with less than 24 inches high. Also can't go wrong with fall in Michigan. Mid sept to October been good to me.


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## HORNSnHOOKS (Mar 25, 2017)

Great thing about fall is you do very little watering.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Sounds like the decision had been made but I am a proponent of doing work in Spring that is potentially stressful to the plant. Ie pruning, transplanting, etc. In other words do it when the plant is dormant. 

There are likely to be lots of success stories doing it in the fall, but the least risk time of year is late winter/early spring before buds break. Depends on how much time, effort and money is in question. Sounds like the trees are free, so how much is your time and effort worth if a few trees don't make it?


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

kroppe said:


> Sounds like the decision had been made but I am a proponent of doing work in Spring that is potentially stressful to the plant. Ie pruning, transplanting, etc. In other words do it when the plant is dormant.
> 
> There are likely to be lots of success stories doing it in the fall, but the least risk time of year is late winter/early spring before buds break. Depends on how much time, effort and money is in question. Sounds like the trees are free, so how much is your time and effort worth if a few trees don't make it?


The only thing more expensive than a free dog, is a free horse. Or tree's in this case.
Work your butt off for nothing if it doesn't make it.

For a non nurseryman, you have to dig them when you have the time to.
Limiting yourself to a few weeks in the spring means that if you have to work, or are tied up with obligations, you get nothing for another year and a half.

I solve that by digging and potting 20 or so at a time.
The second 20 or so holes I have to dig can be in the fall if want, or, I can dig the holes in August and plant in Oct. 

I can break the tasks into timely chunks, as opposed to "Oh God! It's May first and I haven't planted a thing yet. I gotta go dig them, transport them, and plant them, as fast as I can. Oh No! now I gotta get a water source ready too! And water the dang things 3x a week all summer! Crap, I can't get out there. Now it's 100 degrees outside.

I think some of you might see the method in the madness here.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

I know I posed the question, but I am going to do what game keeper suggests. Spring is probably the "better" time, but I also think it is more labor intensive. Watering all summer etc. I may try my luck in early September and then in the spring as well. 

I do plan on buying some of the trees that will be planted in the area around the house. The rest will be transplants from treelines, and my buddy's lot. As mentioned I would like a variety. Might order some bareroot trees in the spring.....some of the harder to find varieties. Also would like to concentrate on building a nice fenced garden in the spring.


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## feedinggrounds (Jul 21, 2009)

I have moved many trees at work, using a very large tree spade mounted on a loader. Taking trees from small plugs 20-30 inches up to 5 inch trunk diam. On all trees taken from woods setting or thickets We use a compass and tie a ribbon on a branch so tree is placed back in same relationship to the sun, very important as all trees develop the top to take advantage of the sun. Also water heavily before digging, keep root ball wet while dug all trees dug are put back in a watered hole within minutes. Do not dig more trees than you can plant right away, a couple survivors is better then a dozen dead ones. A fertilizer at most farm stores that encourage root growth, comes in gallon jugs is used. Tree bags that go at base of tree are filled with water that seeps into soil work well, buckets or jugs with a very small hole at bottom filled with water will seep for a couple days or more. The bigger trees must be stabilized as wind will shear small new white roots as tree sways. This years rain will help, or wait till fall, fall is best in drier sandy soil. Put trees that grow in wet soil back in wet soil, dry ground trees like dry ground. Best advice is only dig what you can plant right away and do them well.


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