Monkey Puzzle Tree Removal

I was offered a 7 foot monkey tree but I had to dig it up. How are the monkey puzzles roots are they shallow or a taproot. Also when it the best time to remove a monkey tree?

Thanks

 

Update: new owners are moving into the house in a week should I try to dig it up?

 

I am not the best person to answer this, but find the question intriguing. I have never done it and I have been looking at info online. I have always heard that it is a difficult tree to transplant and extra care must be taken. PFAF describes them as having a sparse root system and indicates it is best to get them into their permanent home as soon as possible. These trees are common enough in nurseries, but they do not usually sell very big ones. If you do decide to try, make sure to plant it carefully in well drained soil and keep well watered for the next few years. I hate to say this, but with a tree like that I would be prepared for the possibility that it will not make it. My guess is one that large in a large pot would be easier to transplant than one which is already in the ground.
It might be necessary to protect it from harsh sun initially (should not be a problem in this region now) and if it gets hot, you really have to make sure it gets watered.

 

Thanks for the reply Eric. If it dies it dies. Besides it's free and most likely going to be chopped down due to the septic field below it. So why not try to save it. :)

 

Try to dig with a good soil ball, supported by burlap tied securely around the edges or other trussing system. The bigger the better. Or, if this does not seem feasible bare-root it during dull and damp conditions, with an aim to getting as much of the root as possible. (In general with transplanting trees and shrubs it is better to bare-root a specimen and get most of the roots than cut the roots back markedly in order to try and get a manageable soil ball. However, different kinds of trees vary markedly in their tolerance to exposure of their roots to air, and I don't know where this species fits on the spectrum. The most touchy subjects have what is effectively no tolerance.). Transport with the roots kept moist and re-plant immediately, mulching afterward and watering liberally until the Rain Festival returns in November. With or without a soil ball you will have to make advance provisions for lifting, transporting and then eventually staking up a heavy, 7' tall spiny top as vicious as a cactus.