If you aren't in a hurry I've heard people suggested that well in advance of performing the actual transplant, you do some root pruning. That is, sever the roots in a circle around the tree roughly the diameter of what you'll be removing.

I think that allows the tree to get accustomed to a smaller root mass and allows some feeder roots to grow in the area that will go with the tree.

Ideally I think you'd do one semicircle first and then the other later. I'm going on memory of what I've read, you might do a search on transplanting.

murky- thanks for your suggestion...I've searched and it has been described as you've said. One thing I didn't see was how big a diameter of circle to cut the roots ?? I've summer pruned the trees, so it is not easy to determine "drip line". As I mentioned the diameters of the trunks at the base are about 5 inches....

has anyone out there tried this technique to prune the roots 6 mos or so before transplant ? With a pluot tree my size (it has been in the ground about 5 years now), would you expect the success rate of transplant to be high ?

EZ,

I removed a fig tree last year, and documented the of the process in the fig forum.

Transplanting Preparation

Tree Removal

Figs have a fibrous root system. Most of the roots grow in the top eight inches (or so) of soil. Digging the moat in stages allowed the tree to begin growing feeder roots on that side before I moved on to the next side (minimized shock). Also, I prepared the moat before the tree broke dormancy and took it out of the ground after it went dormant to maximize root growth within the moat.

I do not know how this compares with the Pluot tree and whether the Pluot would benefit from the same kind of preparation or if it would require a different method.

~james

I transplant hundreds of peaches, plums and apricots every year as I own a small baring age fruit tree nursery. The best, easiest way to transplant your tree is in its deepest state of dormancy- probably late Dec. in Portland and to bare-root it using a cultivating fork and shovels. Follow the roots out as far as reasonable- this is a big job of carefully removing dirt with a fork without seriously damaging roots. You'll probably have to cut the roots after working a few feet out saving as much as possible. You work the shovel beneath the roots though some large striker (vertical)roots may have to be cut. As the tree loosens up you pull it to either side to locate remaining roots.

When you've removed the tree (you should leave the dirt that doesn't shake free of roots in the process) be sure to plant the tree in a hole just deep enough to plant at previous depth. You're better off a little high than low. Dont loosen the soil lower than necessary as this will cause the tree to sink later which suffocates roots. Be sure there's a couple feet of loosened soil beyond excisting roots for severed roots to grow into horizontally.

I would stake the the trees with 2 driven stakes located to tie half way out on two large branches. For this I use electric tape which you cut the following year and remove stakes if tree has sufficiently anchored.

Don't allow any fruit the first year, removing the flowers as soon as possible. They will steal energy from repairing roots which will have lost most of their absorbant hairs.

The traditional way is to B+B them, of course, but you'd have to move a ton of soil for trees that size or remove most of the functioning root system.

If you keep the soil moist not soaking wet where the roots are and where they are growing trees should pretty well recover in a year. No weed competition and a couple inches of aged mulch is very useful.

Pecan growers move very large trees with a hydralic spade. This moves a rootball that probably weighs close to a ton. These are trees roughly 8-10 inches diameter. They cut the top off almost entirely a yr in advance. The 8ft bare trunk that remains grows a small bushy top prior to being moved.

I'd never try to move a fruit tree with 5 inch trunk. It can be done. But a new tree will bear the second yr after planting, same as the moved tree. I had a pluot in CA that bore at least 60 lbs of fruit the second leaf. Leave what you have, plant a new tree, and you won't miss a crop. Remove the old tree after the new is producing nicely.

If your moved tree dies, you will be out at least two or three crops. But to each his own!!

The Fruitnut

thanks for the education.....I've special ordered a couple new pluots for this Jan., and found out in the process that local nursery has 50% off current inventory sale this Sunday.....I also pruned the existing 2 pluots I was thinking to move, and they are not as huge as I thought...so should be able to keep them where they are for quite awhile, especially once I start employing summer pruning methods this coming year.....Thanks again for saving my back and probably the 2 mature trees...