How to Transplant Fruit Trees

Transplanting large plants and trees can be tricky, and when fruit trees are involved, people usually want to be even more careful. Your ability to transplant a tree will be limited by your physical ability to move it. If you have a small tree that you can handle with a few helpers, there are some general guidelines to follow so that the tree has the best chance to withstand the shock of the transplant and produce fruit for many years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Tarp
• Mulch
• Four helpers

Instructions

1. Plan your transplant when the fruit tree is dormant. The best time is when the tree is completely dormant, and you are expecting temperatures above freezing for a couple of weeks.

2. Dig the new hole for your tree by making it about 1 1/2 times wider than the drip line of the fruit tree. Add peat moss and compost to the center of the hole. Fill the hole with water, and let it soak in.

3. Water the fruit tree well. Use a shovel to cut around the tree at its drip line and about 18 to 24 inches deep.

4. Get at least four other people with shovels to help you at this point. Spread the helpers out evenly along the perimeter of the cut you have made. Have everyone insert their shovels all the way down along the cut line. Together, apply steady pressure on each shovel to pry the root ball upward. You will hear a popping sound as the tree and root ball pull loose from the smaller roots.

5. Alternate lifting the root ball from each side so that you can slide a tarp completely underneath it.

6. Have your helpers spread out around the tarp, get a firm grip and lift the tree and root ball out of the hole. Drag or carry it to a spot next to the new hole.

7. Place the root ball in the center of the hole, making sure that the plant is at the same soil level as it was growing previously. Use the same method to remove the tarp as you did in step five for placing it under the tree. Loosen the soil in the root ball a little to free up the roots.

8. Fill the hole with water. Add fresh, nutrient-rich soil into the hole until it is full. Top it with a thick layer of mulch.

References

• Transplanting Rhododendrons, Roses and other Large Plants
• Trees--Transplanting fruit trees

Resources

• Transplanting Peach Trees