I live in the Pacific Northwest and have about 8 50yrs old apple trees in my yard I want to move to my vacation property. these trees have been growing in very wet soil. I can move them to a location that is dryer when I transplant them or put them in a type of soil they have been use to. I am planning on transplanting them after pruning the first or second week in February. Some question I have 1. Should I prune now a good month prior to transplant? 2. As Apple trees like somewhat dryer ground should I plant them dryer soil. 3. Is there anything I should sprinkle on the root ball prior to replanting. 4. Is punning them way back ok
Either you are very adept with garden stuff and equipment, or you might have quite a task ahead of you. 50 years old can connote huge apple trees, but I have seen some that were kept fairly compact. But even at the most compact, I'm guessing your minimum rootball may be like 500 pounds. If the trees are not compact, then multiple tons. I start pruning clear back in early December or so, for areas like Portland, or down here in Medford. Are you going to use a backhoe? Hydraulic tree spade. Or are you going to manually dig. I'm fairly tough, and have never lost a transplant. But somehow my mind is telling me that if I moved what my mind pictures as 50 year old apples by hand tools, I'd have my health insurance paid up - LOL. So just how big or small are these? Trunk diameter might tell a lot. Height? Width of canopy? Thanks !! Hope you can do it either way.
Might be easier to plant new ones. I was looking at my three eldery trees that were planted when this cottage was first built in the 1950's. They are still flowering and fruiting but they are big and it would be a huge job to shift them. Then to make sure they survived. Big job. Years ago my father would prepare large plants like rhodos and decidious trees that were needed for a landscape jobs often a year ahead Liz
Maybe these are fully dwarfed specimens kept small with heavy pruning. Moving at the end of winter is a good idea as new roots will not come from cut root ends until the dormant (overwintering) buds on the ends of the branches open. Moved before then the trees will mostly just sit there, unable to establish. It might also be a good ideas to go easy on the pruning this one time so that there are plenty of buds left to promote the growth of new roots. Nutrients stored in trunks and branches are also used to fuel the development of new roots initiated in response to hormones sent down to the cut root ends by opening dormant buds. You will certainly have to firmly stake any transplanted specimens that would fall over otherwise. Plant in suitable soil and exposure, conditions experienced on previous site will not affect response to new location (other than the level of health it may have imparted, the better their condition before being dug the better able they will be to grow away strongly again after transplanting).
Thanks I work in a shipyard so large dose not scare me. I believe that these trees were well maintained over the years. the trunks are 6 to 8 inch in diameter 12' high about 10' canopy. yes I am removing with a backhoe. the apples are not very good so I am moving them for the deer and Elk to eat. They are not as picky about taste as I am
Elk can have quite an impact, not sure how they are with apple trees but if they have access to the planting they might trash them rather than just eat the fruits. Another red flag for me is the fruits not being to your taste - such a lot of expense and bother for fruit that isn't any good!
