Question
I have a live oak that has grown very rapidly and is about 25 feet tall, has a base circumference of 28 inches and is planted 7 feet away from the foundation of my house. Can it be transplanted or is it already too large?
Answer
I think it is too large to transplant without professional help.
Deciduous plants may be moved in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes.
When you want to dig up a tree or shrub for transplanting, retain as much of the root system as possible.
Older deciduous trees and all ages of evergreens, can be successfully moved only if a ball of soil is left around the roots. The exposed roots should be protected with moist burlap or newspaper or with polyethylene sheeting. Every effort should be made to reduce root exposure to wind and sun, keeping the ball as moist as possible. It's best to prepare the hole before digging up the tree you wish to move.
Size of the root ball and size of the hole:
For deciduous trees and shrubs the soil ball should be:
Width = 9-12 in. in diameter/every 1 in. of tree diameter
Depth = 6 in./every 1 in. of tree diameter
For example: Your tree has a diameter of about 9 inches and would need a soil ball of 81-108 inches wide and 54 inches deep.
The new hole needs to be twice the size of the root ball and as deep.
This would not be possible with a shovel and pick--the ball would weigh a great deal and could not be moved.
There are machines that can dig and move tree of this size. One of these is called a Vermeer tree spade. Here is a web link to dealer locations in the US. I do not know the cost but would think it to be based on the size of the tree and the distance the machine has to be moved.
