Transplanting a Hickory

[Frank_B]

I hired a local tree transplaning service to move a small (8 to 10 inch dbh) hickory (pignut or mockernut - not sure which one exactly) to a new house.  The job was done yesterday.  The tree spade pulled a root ball that was about 7 feet across and 6 feet deep - big truck with a big tree spade.  The tree was in a yard with several tree crowns above it, and is now out in the open with nothing to the east, south or west exposure, and a house on the north side.  It looks like a nice straight tree that's about 30 to 35 feet high.

Now that the tree is in the new location, what can I do this spring to give it the best chance at surviving the move?  Besides lots of water?

Thanks,
Frank

[SPIKER]

good food, also make sure it is tied up so it won't blow over, (noted open area now?)
water but don't flood it out...   may even think about a bit of upper branch prune removal thinning to form.   will help root system recover.   make sure no dead wood is still there.

I'm sure lots more will have better thoughts, these just off top of my head
mark m

[WDH]

Put mulch around it to keep the soil from drying out.  Keep it moist under the mulch.  If you fertilize this spring, go lightly.  The tree needs some time to put out new roots and get situated, so you don't want to confuse it.  If you keep it watered, nature should do the rest. 

If that hickory is pignut, the leaf will have 5 (rarely 7) leaflets and the underside of the leaflets will be smooth, not hairy.  If it is mockernut, there will be usually 7 leaflets, but they will be very hairy (tomentose which means hairy, that is why it is called Carya tomentosa!).   Good luck in your relocation.  Let us know how the tree is getting along.  (a pic with the new spring leaves would be nice!).

[Frank_B]

WDH -

Thanks for the input.  I was thinking about attempting to apply a rooting hormone product to encourage the re-generation of the roots that were cut - sounds like that's a no.

And thanks for the distinction between the pignut and mockernut.  I've got a good identification book, but this particular tree hadn't gained my focused attention until after this fall when it became apparant that this wouldn't be my home any longer.  The local arborist encouraged me to stay away from moving oaks because of his low success rate with them (trees from ten to fourteen inches dbh).  He claimed to have excellent success with hickories, so I picked out this one for the following reasons:  Height (about 35 - 40 feet); dbh (about 8 - 10 inches); stature (nice straight tree with even distribution of limbs all the way to the top); and already somewhat sun-tolerant (the tree wasn't deep in the woods, it was in the back yard in a *relatively* open area).

I'll take some pics and start adding them to the thread...

r,
Frank

[WDH]

Applying a rooting hormone would be OK.  The deal with the fertilizer is that some people think that if a little fertilizer is good, a lot more is even better.  That is not true.  Only a handful or two around the perimeter of the area under the crown should not be too much. 

The leaves of pignut and mockernut are very different because of the hairs on the leaf stalk and underneath the leaflets on mockernut.  Pignut should be as smooth as a baby's bottom (well, maybe not quite that smooth, but smooth nonetheless!).

I think that it is neat that you brought a tree from home with you.  I learned a little about the Bonsai culture and got excited about having a tree as a companion in a different sense.  I have had my oldest one in the pot for 24 years.  It is the same age as my oldest daughter.  I will try and post a pic.

[Phorester]

FRANK, that's not a "small" tree you had moved.  That's a much bigger one than is normally moved.  You are lucky to find a tree service company that can successfully move this size tree.  Hope it works out for you.

[Frank_B]

Yeah, I know it isn't small by nursery standards, but when compared to some of the hickory trees that have just been harvested, it looks pretty small.  When you look at the other trees around the house at the new location, it is a giant - well, it is the only *real* tree on the block...

The guy who moved it has the largest tree spade in the St. Louis - Metro area (or so he says...)  As stated in the original post, the root ball is about 7 feet across and at least 6 feet tall - the mover estimated it at six tons.

When the household move is done I'll take some pics and get them posted.

The real story will be told this spring when it buds out and, as I understand it, the spring of 2008 when it continues to survive.

[Dave Shepard]

Moisture is the key. Do all you can to maintain the moisture level for the tree. Mulch is good, but don't over do it, don't allow any mulch, or dirt to contact the root crown of the tree. It will encourage pests and decay. A thorough soaking every few days is better than constant saturation, you don't want to impede gas exchange at the roots. We have never moved hickories so I can't advise you on the success rate. 8-10 inch is about par for a 90" spade, and much larger for evergreens. Red oaks will move, white oaks won't. Your arborist, or the tree mover should also be able to help you with aftercare. There is a saying in treemoving "The first year is for show, the second year is slow, the third year they grow."

Dave

[SwampDonkey]

Keep it well watered Frank. I'd be concerned with it burning up, because it grew in shade and has more tender and broader shade leaves, thus more moister will be wicked from the tree and stressing the roots a bit. Water a couple days a week at least in the growing season for the first year. I hope it wasn't growing too suppressed. Best of luck, those hickories are nice trees. Wish we had'm up here. 

[Frank_B]

Well, here's a picture of the transplanted hickory.  It looks kind of skinny all by itself, but the buds are starting to swell.  We're keeping it watered.  Pay no attention to the house in the background - it isn't anything like the old place.  The neighbors seem closer than the old place's aeration system.  We'll adapt.  Having the tree in the yard helps



Frank

[WDH]

Frank_B,

That is a really nice tree.  We want you to post updates on how the tree is doing.  Also post some leaves and a pic of the bark when the leaves are fully out.  I am amazed that you moved a tree of that size, and I would like to follow its progress .

[SwampDonkey]

Looks like it has a good even crown Frank. I'm kind of worried about the diameter vs crown size. Might burn up in the summer heat or collapse from stem water uptake/flow (top part gets heavier than the stunk can support with all that extra water transported and transpiring through the leaves). Might think about anchoring against the prevailing winds and opposite it's leaning side with a loop of rubber tubing with rope passed through it and staked to the ground. Get a latter and loop the rig above the half way mark.

[Frank_B]

Update:  The weather here in southwest Illinois turned cold the middle of last week - and stayed that way for several days.   The weather folks recorded record low temperatures, and the local orchards lost all their peaches and are still assessing the damage to the apple crop.  The subject of this thread had already started to leaf out, and was really looking good; but, since the several nights of hard freezes the leaves wilted.  There's new growth still coming, though, so the tree isn't completely finished.

I'm just looking for opinions here...  One of the biggest concerns in a transplant is getting enough water to the crown as the buds set from the previous year start to open.  Well, the usual spring growth spurt has been stunted.  What will this do to the water uptake requirement?  I'm thinking it will be less since the initial growth of leaves was killed off.

I'd appreciate some professional input 

Thanks,
Frank

[Jeff]

On the front page of the forum all I could see was:

"Re: Transplanting a Hick"  I thought this thread meant Texas Ranger was moving back to MO.

[thecfarm]

That house looks fine to me Frank.That tree don't look too bad either.Good luck with the tree.I will be following this post.
I see Jeff is picking on that Texas guy again.

[WDH]

Once the next flush of leaves form, I would not think that the water requirement would change from what is was initially.  About all you can do now is keep the soil moist, but not sopping wet.  Once the leaves have fully formed, you might take a cup of miracle grow fertilizer and sprinkle it underneath the crown area and water it in.  Not too much.  Once the leaves are fully formed, we know that the tree roots are healthy and that little bit of soluable fertilizer will assure them a little boost of nutrition.

[WDH]

Can you give us a status update on how the transplant is doing?

[Frank_B]

Sure can...  The leaves are big enough for a picture now, so I'll take a few and post later this weekend.

The tree seems to be doing okay.  The water bill is gosh awful high, but the tree looks good.  We had quite a scare last evening as a big thunderstorm blew through - bent the tree over something fierce, but it hung on.  I know there was a recommendation to put cables on it to stabilize it; but, it just seems too big for that.  I'd need to call JULIE before digging post holes for the 4x4 stakes 

The bottom line here:  All in all, it seems like it is doing well.  I'm watching it closely.

Frank

[WDH]

Pics would be reassuring .

[SwampDonkey]

We had quite a scare last evening as a big thunderstorm blew through - bent the tree over something fierce, but it hung on.  I know there was a recommendation to put cables on it to stabilize it; but, it just seems too big for that.  I'd need to call JULIE before digging post holes for the 4x4 stakes