I have a 13 year old Tangerine tree that I am hoping to save. Is there any way to uproot and then re-plant the tree? Is the whole tree salvageable or would I have to cut it to the root and start over? If I can't relocate it, I will have to lose my tangerines, and I don't want that! The tree is very special to me, so please help!! Any advice is more than welcome, and needed ASAP... Thank you
If you can wait a few months for the move, it would help to start pruning the roots by just making straight downward cuts around the tree with a shovel now--at a distance that is about where you will be digging around the tree. That will stimulate new root growth near the trunk and will help support the tree when it is moved. You will also need to cut the top back some to balance it with what the roots can support. If you can't wait, you will need to cut the top back even more, try to save as much of the roots as you can manage to move, put the rootball in the same size hole without any amendments and water well. After the move, don't overwater, but the tree will need to be watered until it is established.
