Question
QUESTION: Dear Jim,
   I read your answer of 07/30/07 to the individual who wanted to transplant a Japanese Maple and who lived in TN.  I, too, live in the Memphis, TN area and would like to move a Seiryu this month.  Your advice was to move such a tree in the spring as soon as the frost is off the ground.  Some of our local nurserymen recommend that newly established trees be moved in early November.  Do you agree?
   The Seiryu in question is one of a pair that originally were bought as five gallon trees and have been in the ground about four years.  This Seiryu is planted in heavy shade, is only about 54" high, and still is quite narrow in the trunk.  It is failing to thrive.  Its companion, in a spot which receives heavy morning sun, is four times its size and is breathtakingly gorgeous at this point.  Every tree specialist who ever has visited my yard has been drawn to it and has examined it as if it were a precious gem.  The other one attracts no attention ...
   I would like to move the failing to thrive Seiryu to a spot similar to, and close to, the thriving one.  I thought about buying a third one for this purpose but am feeling courageous enough to attempt to move the one in question.  Is this the correct decision in your opinion?  It is not as if the failing one is "broke" exactly (as in, if it isn't, don't "fix" it), but I now know that a second one near to the thriving one would be beautiful, and there is a blank spot in the right location for another one.
   Most importantly, should I take this risk now in early November in northwest MS, or, in your opinion, should I wait until March?  Further, were the rootball I dig up turn out to be about 30" wide by 12-18" deep, how much do you suppose it would weigh, and could I pick it up by myself (I am a woman of about 110 lbs. but strong)?  The soil I would be getting around this tree is heavily amended, i.e., it will not contain much of our native and concrete-heavy clay.  Should I have a heavy duty garbage bag laid out on the ground and ready to be wrapped around the root ball before I, or anyone, attempts to pick it up?
   Any tips you might have for me will be greatly appreciated!

ANSWER: I would wait until the hardwood leaves have fallen and then go ahead and move the tree now. In Mississippi you do not have to contend with the ground freezing so either this Fall or in early Spring before the plant leafs out would be good.  It is going to be heavy say about 150-250 lbs depending on the type of soil. The biggest problem will be getting it out of the hole. There are machines that can dig a tree and move it with ease but it will depend on if the machine can get to the tree and if one is available near you. I do not know the cost of this but would think it will depend on the size of the tree. OR if you get it out of the hole you might consider renting a small Bob with a front lift to move it to the new hole.

The new hole should be twice the size of the root ball and as deep and fill with good top soil and mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch (pine straw is good) not piled up on the trunk. water the tree if it does not rain once a week.

Here is a web link to one of these machines and a contact list. You might also  if interested check with your local nursery and they might know of one close. maybe a landscaping company
http://www.vermeer.com/vcom/EnvironmentalEquipment/Line.jsp?PrdlnID=3840

This is going to be a pretty big job but not impossible.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Jim,
   I appreciate your courteous and informed reply.  After I asked my question, I went outside and got "down and dirty" with the Seiryu I wanted to move.  It actually stands over 78" high now and has a trunk diameter of 1.67," i.e., it is much larger, and healthier, than one at first notices vis a vis its over-achieving companion about 100' up the driveway.
   Both Seiryus are planted near our driveway, so getting machinery in place to help out with the transplant presents no problem.  What I decided, though, was to leave the Seiryu in question alone.  It originally was planted where it was to create a certain effect, i.e., to infuse some charm into the area near the street at the bottom of our driveway, which is a heavily wooded area, and it achieves this purpose well.  Perhaps the reason that this tree itself never receives much attention is because it is so well blended into its surroundings.  That is, it simply is performing its job and not standing out like a little "show stopper," as is its companion up the driveway.
   So, I have decided not to "fix" a fine tree at the bottom of the driveway but to purchase a third Seiryu to stand across the way from the show stopper one.  Economics figured heavily into this decision.  About five years ago, I was able to purchase (in five gallon pots) the two Seiryus now in the ground for under $20.00 a piece at Home Depot during one of its pre-Christmas tree season wipe out sales of all other seasonal plants.  For the last couple of years, I have had my eye out for another such sale, but to no avail, as no Seiryus have been available in my area.  
   Yesterday I did find a lovely and quite mature (to match the two already in the ground) Seiryu in a 10 gallon pot for about $90.00 at a nursery/grower in northern MS -- certainly more than I wished to spend, but if one considers (a) the costs possibly associated with transplanting the Seiryu, (b)the costs should the transplant fail, (c) the cost plus the time of planting another shrub in the transplanted Seiryu's place, and (d) the fact that even 5 gallon Seiryus are selling for about $100.00 in my area right now (fall sale or not), I think my decision to purchase the third one that I mentioned was the correct choice from the financial point of view, as well.
   From my experience with moving shrubs and trees, anything that weighs over, say, 60 lbs is more than I can handle well alone, so had I decided to transplant this quite valuable tree, I would have been a fool not to have paid someone for the help of his "big back," and machinery, if need be.  What is of interest to me, however, is that the 10 gallon Seiryu I bought yesterday, though well over 6' tall and in a 10 gallon pot, does not weigh very much, e.g., I can handle it quite easily on my own.  This fact makes me wonder just how large a root ball such a tree does need in order to survive, at least short-term until it can get its roots into the ground.
   What I would like to ask, as follow-up, is if, in your opinion, I have made the best decision, e.g., would you yourself have challenged yourself with such a transplant or instead given in to other judgment and bought a new tree?  How well would my intended transplant Seiryu likely have done had I dug up only a 10 gallon pot-size rootball with it?
   Once again, I appreciate your attention.

Answer
Size of the root ball should be dug as follows:

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: A tree trunk 2 inches wide would need a soil ball of 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep.

I do not know how this would relate to a 10 gal pot.

Since the tree is about as you said 2 inches use the 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep and you will have enough root. It still will be fairly heavy.

Since the machine could not get to the tree I agree you made the right decision.