Transplanting this yrs trees?

[Catscratch]

I have 2 pears that were planted (bare root) this spring. I'd like to move those 2 trees. Should I do it now, or wait until dormant? I figure if I do it now that they won't have grown a lot of new roots. If I wait until fall I'll likely have to dig a bigger hole and damage more roots. What's best?

 

[Native Hunter]

Wait until dormancy. That is the safest way.

 

[bigboreblr]

Plnting from pot ok sorta. True transplanting removing from ground and relocating, yeah wait.

Dig the hole you can, but take care of the roots carefully. Better to cut than rip.

I really like my root assain RA18 shovel. Narrow, but deep, and has cutting teeth. Cut the circle, loosen with some water, the npick up what you can. Digging around to get the bottom cut well is good too.

You feel like an iditot when you transplant them by 6 feet. Wanted some room for the solar pool heaters. Just about bow hunt from the living room.

Big around as a 55 gallon drum and 20 or 30 degree angled in, should be enough. Go for more if you can. IF the soil is different than where its now, bring some to blend in with new native stuff. Cut back some of the tree if you feel you dont have much roots.

November planting is way better than spring. Give the roots some time to grow and heal, and the soil to settle.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I'd wait until dormancy for sure. But you can go in now and sever the root ball with some kind of a sharp spade. Keep it severed the rest of the summer. What you'll do is encourage root growth within that root ball in the ground so that when you finally move it this fall you'll have a lot of root mass ready to support the crown the following spring.

 

[Catscratch]

I guess I'm surprised that the roots have grown all that much. I figured since they've only been in the ground for 3ish months that digging them up wouldn't do much damage.

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

[RGrizzzz]

I have a few I may need to move too. They're surviving but I think the place I planted them is too wet. It's been a crazy wet year in North Central PA, after two years with significant droughts. The rain finally seems to have normalized, so I'll keep an eye on them the rest of the growing season..

 

[bigboreblr]

Wishsomeone would make a sow drip setup that you can fill a 55 gallon drum and it take a month top drip out.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Wishsomeone would make a sow drip setup that you can fill a 55 gallon drum and it take a month top drip out.

Thats only 10oz/hour over 30 days. That's probably not enough water for anything but small trees when it's really hot and/or droughty.

 

[gurgalunas]

I guess I'm surprised that the roots have grown all that much. I figured since they've only been in the ground for 3ish months that digging them up wouldn't do much damage.

Thanks for the advice guys!

Probably not a lot of major root growth at this point, but the fine hair roots will be growing. These are nearly impossible to protect when transplanting (without a way to maintain a fully intact root ball). They are also responsible for the great majority of absorption of water and nutrients.

A normal rootball is held together by the larger roots that have grown, whether in a pot or dug from the ground. Without that growth, the soil will fall apart, taking the fine roots with it. The root system will be starting from scratch like it did this spring, but instead of a dormant tree and cool temps, you'll have a leafed out tree and summer conditions. That's a no-win situation, imo.

 

[bigboreblr]

Dug up a antonovka seedlings planted 2022 and put them in a nursery garden on kerr scion in 2023. 2024 dug them up to their permanent homes. Alot of 8ft long roots. PRetty surprised how long they were.