Preparing for the tree transplant
Really nice weather this weekend, so yesterday I raked the park strip, mowed it (with my reel mower), cut taller grass around the Purple Catalpa and pulled some weeds there (mostly broadleaf plants and dandelions).
The back is a mess of broadleaf weeds and dandelions so only did a part of what must be done on Saturday then some more to-day.
Yesterday I also cut pickets and installed them at the gate area. I moved the remainder wood to the wood pile and calculated the wood I needed to finish the pickets on the fence separating the garbage areas of House 60 and House 70.
Then I did some transplanting of preferred plants...a forget-me-not and a blahblahblah into Squeaker's Corner...and a nice clump of grass into Marvin's Garden where I used to have a nice clump.
At this point I had to start the ultimate transplant.
So I dug a 2+ foot hole about 6 inches in diameter about center at the place between the tetherball court and the fence. Is this enough, too much, too little?
The best place, it seems, for information on this comes from:
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2009/3-11/transplanting.html
Wikihow pretty much takes from this article (by Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University) verbatim:
"The root ball of your selected sapling should be between 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) for each 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the trunk's diameter at chest height. For example, if your tree has a trunk diameter of 1 inch (2.5 cm), the diameter of the root ball should be 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 cm)."
Jauron says:
"Using a spade, dig a trench around the tree to a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 feet."
Wikihow then explains about the hole:
"The hole should be approximately 2 to 3 times the width of your tree's root ball and have a depth around 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) less than the height of your root ball."
"If the soil is extremely hard or compacted, dig your hole much larger to loosen the soil around the perimeter and make it easier for the roots to spread when they begin to grow outward."
So, considering that the hole is cut through mostly clay soil (in other words, compacted), I may need to widen the hole but probably don't need to deepen it.
The problem with this information, according to this:
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/lifestyle/how-to-transplant-a-tree/522/
"Evergreens... are measured by height, not trunk caliper."
In other words, I return to my previous approach...which is that the hole for the tree needs to be as deep as the tree is tall...so it needs to be two feet deeper than it is right now.
This site...
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/transplanting-trees.htm
says:
"Evergreens with a branch spread of about a foot (30 cm.) need a root ball 12 inches (30 cm.) wide and 9 inches (23 cm.) deep. Evergreens with a 3-foot (91 cm.) spread need a root mass 16 inches (41 cm.) wide and 12 inches (30 cm.) deep. A 5-foot (1.5 m.) spread means that the plant needs a 22-inch (56 cm.) diameter root ball that is at least 15 inches (38 cm.) deep."
So this does not rely on height or trunk width, but rather branch spread!
Then there is important caution from:
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/tree-planting/8741.html
"Planting too deep is the top reason that trees and shrubs die."
The tree I am transplanting is probably a Blue Spruce in that it is an evergreen tree and has needles which are blue-green. It has not grown a great deal in its current location, often hidden from both water and sun by the old location of the wood pile.
It also grew there from a seedling which I transplanted, so it found its way at that location and did not die.
The problem is, the location I chose was not correct and I have to move it. I want the transplant to succeed, so am trying to be careful. It is my seedling, now a sapling. If the transplant fails, well, I tried. I will put another seedline in its place if that happens (there is one growing on the south side). If it does well, then I will work to keep competitors away. I can work to put some fence side plants in as well!
This website:
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/transplant-blue-spruce-38924.html
Has specific steps for a Spruce. If I had known about the slice concept as a preparation step I would have done this earlier:
"Prune the root system six months to one year before transplanting. Slice through the the root system with a shovel in the circumference of the dripline of the foliage. Pruning roots encourages the severed ends to produce new roots, providing the tree with more roots to help it recover from transplanting."
"Water root-pruned trees well until transplanting as the trimmed roots provide the tree with less water."
So this gets into the actual digging up part:
"Dig up the spruce by inserting the length of a round or sharpshooter shovel into the soil 10 to 12 inches from the trunk of the tree. Pull back on the shovel handle to loosen the roots. Repeat this around the tree. Loosen the tree in the hole and remove carefully."
Another one of their articles says:
"For large spruces, more than 4 or 5 feet tall, dig a trench, about 15 to 20 inches deep, around the spruce to reach underneath the root ball. Keep as much soil as possible with the root ball. Watering the tree well the day before helps soil cling to the roots. Use a sharp spade to cut the roots. A sharp spade cuts the roots cleanly and prevents damage. In the new location, dig a hole deep and wide enough to spread out the roots of the spruce. Make the hole about twice as wide as the container or root ball but no deeper. Folded roots may prevent good growth, especially in heavy clay soils."
Then hole preparation. Again--much wider hole recommended!
"Dig a new hole for the tree twice the size of the root ball. Put the dug spruce into the hole with the ground level even with the top of the root ball. Back fill with soil and tamp down firmly, leaving a slight depression of about one inch around the tree for water retention. Apply a three- to four-inch layer of mulch around the tree, keeping the mulch away from the trunk of the spruce."
I think, also, I might try for an apple tree in the coming weeks between the tetherball court and the other evergreen tree. This evergreen I also transplanted from a 3 inch seedling I found on our property. It is now, probably, 20 feet tall with a diameter of four inches!
Here is where I describe first transplanting it on June 14, 2014, almost 6 years ago, IMG_5200:
https://byroncaloz.livejournal.com/401199.html
Once I have dealt with weeds and transplants (and have reasonable control of our lawns), I can turn to hardscape.
The Chimney Memorial Pathway needs to slope down better from the back driveway. Right now there is this hump where I did not dig enough last year.
The front drive way has dips in it from too much settling (encouraged by a leak from my north side gutter). So that needs to be remedied.
Then I would like to deal with finalizing the rock path by Marvin's Garden, put in a front post at the end and a second post and fence section between the Garden and the sidewalk.
At that point I can re slope and finalize the front brick path way, do a transition across the driveway tracks and put in good groundcover between the tracks.
The back is a mess of broadleaf weeds and dandelions so only did a part of what must be done on Saturday then some more to-day.
Yesterday I also cut pickets and installed them at the gate area. I moved the remainder wood to the wood pile and calculated the wood I needed to finish the pickets on the fence separating the garbage areas of House 60 and House 70.
Then I did some transplanting of preferred plants...a forget-me-not and a blahblahblah into Squeaker's Corner...and a nice clump of grass into Marvin's Garden where I used to have a nice clump.
At this point I had to start the ultimate transplant.
So I dug a 2+ foot hole about 6 inches in diameter about center at the place between the tetherball court and the fence. Is this enough, too much, too little?
The best place, it seems, for information on this comes from:
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2009/3-11/transplanting.html
Wikihow pretty much takes from this article (by Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University) verbatim:
"The root ball of your selected sapling should be between 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) for each 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the trunk's diameter at chest height. For example, if your tree has a trunk diameter of 1 inch (2.5 cm), the diameter of the root ball should be 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 cm)."
Jauron says:
"Using a spade, dig a trench around the tree to a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 feet."
Wikihow then explains about the hole:
"The hole should be approximately 2 to 3 times the width of your tree's root ball and have a depth around 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) less than the height of your root ball."
"If the soil is extremely hard or compacted, dig your hole much larger to loosen the soil around the perimeter and make it easier for the roots to spread when they begin to grow outward."
So, considering that the hole is cut through mostly clay soil (in other words, compacted), I may need to widen the hole but probably don't need to deepen it.
The problem with this information, according to this:
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/lifestyle/how-to-transplant-a-tree/522/
"Evergreens... are measured by height, not trunk caliper."
In other words, I return to my previous approach...which is that the hole for the tree needs to be as deep as the tree is tall...so it needs to be two feet deeper than it is right now.
This site...
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/transplanting-trees.htm
says:
"Evergreens with a branch spread of about a foot (30 cm.) need a root ball 12 inches (30 cm.) wide and 9 inches (23 cm.) deep. Evergreens with a 3-foot (91 cm.) spread need a root mass 16 inches (41 cm.) wide and 12 inches (30 cm.) deep. A 5-foot (1.5 m.) spread means that the plant needs a 22-inch (56 cm.) diameter root ball that is at least 15 inches (38 cm.) deep."
So this does not rely on height or trunk width, but rather branch spread!
Then there is important caution from:
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/tree-planting/8741.html
"Planting too deep is the top reason that trees and shrubs die."
The tree I am transplanting is probably a Blue Spruce in that it is an evergreen tree and has needles which are blue-green. It has not grown a great deal in its current location, often hidden from both water and sun by the old location of the wood pile.
It also grew there from a seedling which I transplanted, so it found its way at that location and did not die.
The problem is, the location I chose was not correct and I have to move it. I want the transplant to succeed, so am trying to be careful. It is my seedling, now a sapling. If the transplant fails, well, I tried. I will put another seedline in its place if that happens (there is one growing on the south side). If it does well, then I will work to keep competitors away. I can work to put some fence side plants in as well!
This website:
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/transplant-blue-spruce-38924.html
Has specific steps for a Spruce. If I had known about the slice concept as a preparation step I would have done this earlier:
"Prune the root system six months to one year before transplanting. Slice through the the root system with a shovel in the circumference of the dripline of the foliage. Pruning roots encourages the severed ends to produce new roots, providing the tree with more roots to help it recover from transplanting."
"Water root-pruned trees well until transplanting as the trimmed roots provide the tree with less water."
So this gets into the actual digging up part:
"Dig up the spruce by inserting the length of a round or sharpshooter shovel into the soil 10 to 12 inches from the trunk of the tree. Pull back on the shovel handle to loosen the roots. Repeat this around the tree. Loosen the tree in the hole and remove carefully."
Another one of their articles says:
"For large spruces, more than 4 or 5 feet tall, dig a trench, about 15 to 20 inches deep, around the spruce to reach underneath the root ball. Keep as much soil as possible with the root ball. Watering the tree well the day before helps soil cling to the roots. Use a sharp spade to cut the roots. A sharp spade cuts the roots cleanly and prevents damage. In the new location, dig a hole deep and wide enough to spread out the roots of the spruce. Make the hole about twice as wide as the container or root ball but no deeper. Folded roots may prevent good growth, especially in heavy clay soils."
Then hole preparation. Again--much wider hole recommended!
"Dig a new hole for the tree twice the size of the root ball. Put the dug spruce into the hole with the ground level even with the top of the root ball. Back fill with soil and tamp down firmly, leaving a slight depression of about one inch around the tree for water retention. Apply a three- to four-inch layer of mulch around the tree, keeping the mulch away from the trunk of the spruce."
I think, also, I might try for an apple tree in the coming weeks between the tetherball court and the other evergreen tree. This evergreen I also transplanted from a 3 inch seedling I found on our property. It is now, probably, 20 feet tall with a diameter of four inches!
Here is where I describe first transplanting it on June 14, 2014, almost 6 years ago, IMG_5200:
https://byroncaloz.livejournal.com/401199.html
Once I have dealt with weeds and transplants (and have reasonable control of our lawns), I can turn to hardscape.
The Chimney Memorial Pathway needs to slope down better from the back driveway. Right now there is this hump where I did not dig enough last year.
The front drive way has dips in it from too much settling (encouraged by a leak from my north side gutter). So that needs to be remedied.
Then I would like to deal with finalizing the rock path by Marvin's Garden, put in a front post at the end and a second post and fence section between the Garden and the sidewalk.
At that point I can re slope and finalize the front brick path way, do a transition across the driveway tracks and put in good groundcover between the tracks.