I'd try getting as much root as possible, rather than trying to get a perfect rootball.

1. Start new hole (final size determined by how big plant turns out to be). Wide and shallow. Dirt on tarp.

2. Start digging next to tree. When general perimeter to be used is found, dig trench. Again, focus on root retention rather than undisturbed soil ball: due to limitations on size and weight that can be handled successfully, most soil balls on purchased plants are too small, barely have more intact fine roots than barerooted stock from a warehouse.

3. Undercut, drag onto conveyance (tarp, cart...), replant asap. Mulch and water well.

You should have forks for exposing roots, spades for cutting them and shovels for moving soil. I would try to split the difference between intact soil ball and complete barerooting, forking dirt off the outside to retain long roots but leaving core undisturbed. For one thing, there may be an original clay ball left from when the tree was in a nursery field.

Get this job done promptly, some deciduous trees and shrubs are swelling already. Original edition of TREES AND SHRUBS FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST GARDENS said Feb. 15 was the winter transplanting cutoff around here. Lately the growing season has been 2 weeks longer than in the past, due to global warming. So, if you add a week to this end of the growing season the dormant transplanting season would be over next Wednesday! Plants are sure acting like it. (Varies with situation, of course, some plants bud out much later than others, some sites much colder and wetter than others).

Feb 18th is going to be the day. We live in the cascade foothils and are about 2 to 3 weeks behind seattle. I have looked at the tree and it is still dormant, no leafing out, but the buds are getting ready. Hopefully that will work out.

I have not heard the roots over rootball idea before, but it makes a lot of sense, when moving dormant plants, that they can be treated a bit like bareroot.

Thanks,
jb

For related discussion...

Here is a link that might be useful: Myth of Collapsing Rootballs

We have a green lace leaf in a plastic pot approx. 3 feet wide by 2.5? Been in this pot over 2 years. Roots have grown out of the drain hole and into the grass. Base of trunk is about 3inchs, stands 4.5 feet with about 4 feet of spread.
Problem is root prune now Jan 4 - 07 with out causeing harm or death. Should I use something on the cut eposed roots to stop infection and or bugs?
Pruned one at the wrong time of year, late winter and it bleed constantly come spring. It was so weak after that the bugs as a whole took it out. Wife nun to happy.
Came anyone help please.Thank you.

Cut the pot away and dig roots in ground up as though planted in ground intentionally.

One thing listed on my transplanting page, is sharpening the shovel. Unless there is a bunch of rock, never transplant without sharpening the edge of the shovel. Grinder, and preferrably even sharper with a file.

Dull shovels bludgeon roots, and the tugging hammering can loosen the rootball or damage roots. Sharp shovels do less damage and cut more cleanly.

I prefer to cradle and slide rootball, rather than drag the balls onto a tarp.

In this album, go to one of the last frames near #91 - it may move - but there's a video showing how to get a tarp under a rootball...

ALBUM - look near end for TRANSPLANT related video

Using that method, two people can do it even better by each grabbing 2 corners - the tarp cradles the ball.

The tarp can even be wrapped if needed to hold the ball tight together.

See 'Myth of Collapsing Rootballs' at link above. Breaking your back to get a pristine, huge, solid ball not necessarily so critical afterall. Depends on the parameters of the specific kind of plant, tolerances to air exposure all over the map. One barerooting study got different results for each common type of tree tested, ranging from littleleaf linden which apparently could sit out of the ground for months without being bothered to sweetgum which didn't seem to have much tolerance for drying of the roots at all.

Thought I'd update on teh move and how it fared. We moved the tree in late march and it survived the summer in excellent shape. We kept as large a root ball as possible which made it very heavy. We had a tarp around it with chains that were attached to the back of my truck with a come along. It had to move about 7 feet adn 4 feet up a slight hill. We started cranking it down and it was so heavy my truck moved before the tree. Finally the truck tire was wedged against the retaining wall and the tree began to move. It put tremendous strain on the chains and I was worried that it would snap and put someones eye out. Was glad when it was in position and we started packing dirt around it and coudl release the come along.

It was difficult but really made a difference in that area of the garden. It allows for a nice path and plenty of room for the tree to grow undisturbed for many years.

jb

We have to sell our childhood home and in the yard is a 50 year old lace leaf. It is about 5 foot tall at it's tallest point and the spread is about 8 foot. The tree has a lot of sentimental value and we would like to try to move it to our home. Can this be done safely? We are so afraid that the buyers of the home will just cut it down because it blocks a front window somewhat. This tree was the love of my mother's and father's and we would like to keep it living for our grandchildren