Mature Tree Transplants

[MrPaddy]

Has anyone on here had experience with mature tree transplants ?

You see the large trees all around the country that have been dug up and bagged and waiting for roots to start to grow again before being moved to a new owner and home.

I am wondering if this can be done with mature fruit trees and if so, what types are most successfull. If not, why not ?

Also for the smaller pygmy type coconut trees, you know the ones with the dark nuts and sweet juices.

Hope somebody knows as I want to look at the possibility of transplanting several types of larger fruit trees so not have to wait so long for them to grow.

[Mobi]

Well I know nothing about trees, but when I had my house built 3 years ago, I had a number of mature trees transplanted into my garden, including 3 large frangipani trees (two more than 4 meters tall) and a whole host of other tropical specimens of various shapes and sizes.

Without exception they have all settled in extremely well and have grown taller and flourished. Although none of mine are fruit trees, I would imagine that providing the gardener who carries out the planting knows what he is doing, then they will almost certainly take.

A respectable garden centre can advise you of which fruit trees would be the most suitable for transplanting.

[sbk]

Not sure about other fruit trees but a well established coconut tree would not do well being dug up and moved.

[MrPaddy]

Why would a coconut tree not survive ?

Feel free to move this to the farming forum if you think it will get better advice.

The reason I ask is that one of these tree companies said you cannot do this to fruit trees.

I am wondering why and if indeed he is correct or not.

[Crossy]

No direct experience but neighbours in the 'big house' had some mango trees delivered (complete with fruit) last year, they seem to be doing just fine

[cmsally]

It will probably depend on the root system.

I suggested doing it with a longan tree that we had to either move or get rid of and was told it wouldn't work because of the fine root system which runs close to the surface of the ground.

Mango trees have much deeper root system.

It might work for the younger coconut trees but I have only seen the more ornamental palms for sale as large trees.

Frangipani works well.

Rose apple might be OK.

I'm guessing any small coconut trees might do Ok too as you see so many of those ornamental palms which are similar to coconut trees bagged up.

[meandwi]

It is very easy to relocate coconut palms. Dig a trench around each palm 2 feet from the base, 3 feet deep. Cut 1/3 of each frond off, move to new lacation. Backfill with sand, making sure to remove all air pockets and brace them well. They will need a 30 minute watering each every day. I have moved them up to 50 feet tall.

Fruit trees will need alot of time to move. They will have to be "root pruned" 6 months in advance of the move. Dig around 1/2 of the tree, at least 3 feet deep. Wait 6 weeks, dig the other half. Backfill the holes with a sandy loam free of rocks. Make sure to remove all air pockets from the soil, and brace the trees with strong lumber to keep them from falling over. Most fruit trees have a "Tap root" which is difficult to dig up with out killing the tree. It can't be root pruned due to its location on the bottom center of the tree. After the 6 month wait. Lift the tree with a large tractor, find the severed tap root, cut with a fine saw. Corterise (burn)the root with a small propane tank to keep the sap from running out the tree.

It is difficult, but can be done. Keep the trees in the same hole you root pruned them in. Dont remove them and place above ground like the nurseries do. This is done to show and sell the trees. Dont add soil to the top of the root ball relocate them to the same elevation they lived. (This is key).

Good luck,

meandwi

Edited March 10, 2008 by meandwi

[sbk]

Sounds like you are a professional, meandwi, from my amateur experience, transplanting coconuts is not easy. Buying already balled and bagged plants or buying plants grown for transplant is far different than moving a tree already established in a garden.

But that's just my experience, doing it without a backhoe or a professional moving service, which is, from the sounds of it, what you have done.

up to the OP, I guess.

[MrPaddy]

Excellent advice Meandwi.

You say to leave the fruit trees in the original hole, I presume you mean once they are bagged and ready to be moved.

The tree guy we spoke with said that he leaves his trees until they start to shoot roots out of the ball, then they are ready to move to a new home. Do you have to do this with fruit trees, wait for the roots to show, or seeing as you have already waited 6 months can they be transplanted straight away.

Cheers.

[chownah]

MrPaddy,

If you have trouble with the full sized fruit trees you might try five year old ones more or less...We transplanted a lam yai tree that was about 2 or 2.5 metres tall and whose main trunk was as thick as a golf ball or a bit more by just digging it up with a ball of dirt about one metre in diametre and then moving it directly into the new hole.

1. Be sure the dirt around the tree is not saturated and not bone dry...you want it just wet enough so it will stick together well so that the root ball will not break.

2. Dig all around the tree at a distance of about 60 or 70 centimetres from the tree trunk....this is bigger than you want but if you dig out farther first and cut the roots then you can trim back the dirt while leaving the roots sticking out all around the root ball.

3. You should have the new hole dug already so really this should be the first thing on the list....ooops...dig some well rotted manure in the bottom of the hole...two or three buckets is what I try to use....be sure the hole is big enough...not too shallow and not too deep...you'll want to the ground surface level after transplant to be the same as originally although this doesn't seem to be too critical for most trees in Thailand.

4. Put a bunch of water in the hole so that the bottom is saturated or even with some standing water in the bottom...

5. Gently place the tree in the hole....the leaves go up...the root ball goes down.

6. Work some dirt under the root ball if you need to raise it up a bit...you can lower the root ball a small amount by rotating the root ball which will abrade a bit of the dirt from the bottom...you can probably get it to go down about 10 cm this way...trying for more would be risky.

7. When the tree is at the right height you can put layers of dirt with some aged manure around the root ball and compact them down with a piece of bamboo or a shovel handle in layers about 20 cm thick...water each layer before adding the next layer...in total I probably add 2 or 3 or 4 more buckets of aged cow manure around the root ball along with the dirt.

8. When it is completely full and compacted then water liberally until the ground is well saturated....you usally won't have to prop up this small of a tree if you got it straight to begin with...and if you didn't break the root ball in the process....but go ahead and prop it if it needs it or if it makes you fell better.

I did this and the tree never showed any signs of stress at all. My Thai worker if left to his own devices will not be nearly so careful to keep a good amount of dirt in tact on the roots and his failure rate is fairly high...

With trees this size you might get fruit the next year and almost assuredly you will get fruit in two years.

Chownah

[meandwi]

Excellent advice Meandwi.

You say to leave the fruit trees in the original hole, I presume you mean once they are bagged and ready to be moved.

The tree guy we spoke with said that he leaves his trees until they start to shoot roots out of the ball, then they are ready to move to a new home. Do you have to do this with fruit trees, wait for the roots to show, or seeing as you have already waited 6 months can they be transplanted straight away.

Cheers.

I have over 25 years of experiance in designing luxrury hotels and homes, relocating very large, speciman trees and palms is my expertise. In fact it is how I met my wife. I came to Thailand to donate my time and experiance to help with the reconstruction of landscape projects after the tsunami. She was a computer graphic designer, hired to translate drawings. We now have a large farm near Miami, Florida. We grow coconut plus many other varieties of palms to use in our business. Most of our palms are being relocated to the Island of Saint Marteen in the Carribean, For use in a very large project of mine.

Her family has large fields of Rambutan in Ao Lek, down by Krabi, along with fields of Rubber, and oil palms. We have successfully relocated rambutan, longam, and a few other fruit trees to make way for expansion of the home.

Yes, leave the tree in the hole until it shows new root growth. Then after that wrap it with burlap to secure and keep the ball shape, then, relocate it to its new location.

good luck,

meandwi

ps. We now have a little baby girl. her name is Carissa Chumpoo. nickname, Plum. We all will be arriving soon for the rambutan harvest.

[MrPaddy]

Thanks MeanDwi and Chow.

Congratulations on the little girl. Lovely name.

Moving some fruit trees of maturity will certainly hurry along the fruit stage. I am a little impatient, so waiting several years for fruit from new trees would be harsh. If I can successfully advance this a few years, then great.

Thanks again. Cheers.

Edited March 11, 2008 by MrPaddy