Author Topic: Digging up inground trees  (Read 1037 times)

Canvo

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 85
    • Australia
    • View Profile
Digging up inground trees
« on: February 07, 2020, 03:44:41 PM »
I’m wondering if anyone has experience with digging up garcinias to move to a different location. I have 2 Luc’s about 3’ tall and growing well but there is a strong possibility I may be moving in 12 months and I would like to take them if there’s a reasonable chance of survival.
I have a few jaboticabas as well about the same size which i am hoping will be somewhat easier

Frog Valley Farm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 577
  • Messages have been disabled here
    • View Profile
Re: Digging up inground trees
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2020, 04:08:33 PM »
I would advise against it.  I had a beautiful 8 year old or so 8 ft. Madruno that I thought I had to have at my new place.  It had been in a root pruner pot most of its life before I planted it.  It was only in the ground for 9 mos..  It has been over 4 years since I transplanted and is only a couple feet tall and still struggling with just a few leaves,  I believe you would be better off starting over rather than facing years of disappointment like myself.  I have transplanted Some 3’ Achacha that were only in the ground a few months and had not developed their taproot with success.  This is just my experience with transplanting an in ground Garcinia that have huge taproots and are slow growing to begin with.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2020, 05:07:38 PM by Frog Valley Farm »

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Digging up inground trees
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2020, 04:53:50 PM »
When i dig out a tree,i try to do it in the most dormant perriod possible.
Then i take it out with lots of soil and carefully wrap the soil around the roots with celophane foil .
Then ,after i plant it in the new location,i cut the tree stem 40 %( i shorten it).
This cutting its verry important altough i dont like to cut it .
Because its been cut,the tree will focus more on healing and developing roots .
In case i dont cut the tree,then it will try to push new growth as usual but the leaves wont grow to normal size ,then slowly they will die.
Without cutting the top of the tree i got just 40 % survivability but after the cut its like 99%.
The more you cut,the better chances of survival but you have to asses how much did you damaged the roots while digging it out.
Big root damage= cut it back a lot.
Less root damage= cut less but not less than 30-40%.
You can also remove somme leaves asside from cutting.
Removing leaves protects the tree from the shock caused by the lack of water ( because less roots means it will get less water).
They loose water from leaves and removing 40% of the leaves ,protects them from water stress.

Canvo

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 85
    • Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Digging up inground trees
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2020, 05:06:05 PM »
Appreciate the feedback SW and FVF, my back up plan for the Luc’s is to marcott some largish branches on my Achacha, then graft onto them, I have had good results grafting Luc’s to Achacha. I will try digging up the jaboticabas in winter and give them a heavy trim

TnTrobbie

  • runs with pruners
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1038
  • ZonePusher has a spot for that.
    • 10b + 9b FL
    • View Profile
Re: Digging up inground trees
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2020, 06:53:58 PM »
Go for it as long as you can get a huge chunk of that root ball and baby that thing in a large pot, in the shade and keep the soil moist for months on end.
The Earth laughs in flowers. And bear gifts through fruits.
No where to plant it ...but at least I got it. ;)
F*ck squirrels and deers

gnappi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1974
    • South East Florida (U.S.A) Zone 10A
    • View Profile
Re: Digging up inground trees
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2020, 09:23:20 PM »
I say try it. You'll be sorry if you don't and find the new owner killed them anyway.

If they're dormant, trim them, root prune around the trunk, wait a few weeks, and pick them up into a burlap wrapper.

I moved a couple of sugar apples and a mango and never lost a tree.

Regards,

   Gary

pineislander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2199
    • Bokeelia, FL
    • View Profile
Re: Digging up inground trees
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2020, 08:14:23 AM »
Not exactly on topic but a friend recently offered me some free palms on land which was to be cleared. There are many palm growers here and I hired one of them to use his power shovel to do the digging. The machine uses a sharp narrow shovel powered by a weed-eater type engine which gives it a jackhammer style reciprocating action. It literally cuts through the tough palm roots like butter. After cutting I just wrapped a chain around the clump and pulled it right up with a front end loader with no problem. The machine is called a 'Dyna-Digger'. The main advantage besides the ease of work is that there is little to no root disturbance and the result is a very complete root ball.
video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gov8x2AD4qo