I've got a couple red oaks that i've been thinking about trying to transplant. Normally i would just let em grow but in a few years they're gonna start blocking my view of the eastern sky, where we get to watch the sun rise over the cranberry bogs every morning. I guess i could top em or worst case just take em down but that's option B. I've transplanted other species but nothing this large (14-16ft) and never an oak. I know they survival rate in a transplant that large is not very good but do ya think the oaks might be a little more hardy and take? Anybody transplanted something that big before and how'd ya make out?
We've had 7-8 transplanted white oaks replaced on the drive into the plant...mostly because the neighbors cows rub on them and kill them. These were all in the 10-12' range and struggle to survive even with water bags filled 2-3 times a week. Oaks have a deep tap root ~1/4-1/3 of the trees height - that's a deep root ball. I'd find some acorns from a hardy tree dig a much smaller hole and amend the soil - you'll have saplings where you want them when the current ones block your view
I've got tons of white and red Oaks in the woods I've thought of doing that with, but just haven't gotten around to it. These would all be no more than a foot or two tall. I'll be watching this one. ETA: good info basod.
Oaks usually have a very deep taproot. I successfully transplanted some 1 and 2 year old oak saplings this spring - the taproot was just as long as the stem. Just started to notice some new growth on them a few weeks ago; before that I wasn't sure they were going to take. They didn't appear to be dying, but they didn't appear to be growing either. From what I've read, oak will take a little while to recover from the transplant shock; it focuses on regrowing its root system first. Gotta think you're gonna need a backhoe to dig up something that size though. Let us know how it works out if you try it though. I have a couple sugar maple in that range I'd like to transplant myself.
You might also try a sawtooth oak - one of the fastest growth rates in it's first 10-15yrs. Hardy in zones 5-9
Good call Basod, I'd rather transplant acorns than trees that size. Plus, firewood when the view is affected.
Basod nailed it with oak and the long tap root. Tough to move one at that size. If only a foot or less then you can transplant pretty easy but usually have to keep them watered well the first year or two.
Yea you guys are right about the tap root, i forgot . Well it looks like i'll just top em in the next few years when they start blocking the view. They aren't more than 3" round right now so not gonna be much wood when they do have to come down.
