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Re: Root Pruning to move trees

Marian Raitz wrote:
> 
> Greetings!
> I've heard that August is a good time to dig around a tree to cut
> major roots (and encourage new feeder roots in the ball) in
> preparation for moving the next fall.
> 
> Does anyone know whether now is ok to try this?  Root growth may
> still occur, especially in an el nino winter?  Or must there be
> leaves on the tree?
> 
> It's a striped bark maple, 4" caliper,  15 to 20 feet tall and will
> otherwise have to be cut down.  (I foolishly stuck a 6" cutting in a
> convenient place at the time.)
> 
> Marian
> Marian Raitz   mraitz@blaze.accessone.com
> Bellevue WA  Zone 8
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dig it now, or cut it later.
If you possibly can, dig up the root ball and move the entire thing
right now.  It will enventually get to the size of No Return, and then
you'll have to cut it, and either pay someone to bring in a backhoe
(goodbye lovely yard) or dig out the stump by hand (hello, aching
back).   Undercutting the rootball will only prolong the inevitable.  
I suppose you could leave a 3 foot stump in your yard, and set a pot of
posies on it and call it a display.  I've seen lots of people this.
But hey, ya don't do that in Bellvue.

The Greenhouse Nursery
81 S. Bagley Creek Road & Hwy 101
Port Angeles, WA  98362
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