Sliver birch tree

texas star

Hi I made a mistake of planting a beautiful sliver birch tree to close to the house.Its now about 15Ft high and about 10 ft from my kitchen window.I want to move before it becomes to big can anyone advise what time of the year to do this which won't cause to much stress to the tree.I don't want it to die on me.Thanks

Gautama

Mid-December.

texas star

Ok thanks is it cause all the leafs have fallen off so it's lighter to move?

secman

texas star wrote: »

Ok thanks is it cause all the leafs have fallen off so it's lighter to move?

No , it's dormant, less chance of damage.

texas star

That's great thanks a mill

texas star

Just one more question do you think I could move this myself with family or get a professional to do it?

lazybones32

Hmmm... It is possible to move it but...

During Winter, when all leaves are gone, dig a shallow trench about a foot further out than the drip-line (how far out the branches spread). Then you need to dig under, to loosen the roots but to keep as much soil attached to the root-ball as possible. You will inevitably chop through some roots, so don't worry. Gently rock the tree trunk in different directions, after digging under, to loosen it but try avoiding brute force. It will eventually 'give'.
Don't replant when the ground is frozen - unnecessary labour - and it might be a good idea to cut back some few branches by a third, to balance the loss to the roots. Too few roots cannot support too many branches.

or else

Trim the branches back to keep it small and proportionate where it already is.

A 15ft SB tree isn't too heavy and is quite tough, so it is within an amateurs scope but take your time and get another pair of hands.

bumblebee2

texas star wrote: »

Hi I made a mistake of planting a beautiful sliver birch tree to close to the house.Its now about 15Ft high and about 10 ft from my kitchen window.I want to move before it becomes to big can anyone advise what time of the year to do this which won't cause to much stress to the tree.I don't want it to die on me.Thanks

Wait till late November early December when the tree has shut down for the winter and then you can remove it.You want to take as much of the rootball and soil with you as you possibly can.
Dig a wide circle around the tree trunk around 1 meter out off the trucn all the way around and then slowly and carefully dig down and inwards towards the trees original rootball when it was 1st planted.Gently rock the tree from side to side so that you free it from the ground and then get 2-3 people to lift it clear from the ground.You will want to have the rootball kept wet and covered with hessian cloth or hessian sacks while you are moving the tree,as you dont want the roots going into shock from the movement and being exposed to the air.
Relocate the tree to its new location as quickly as you can.Have your new location ready to go and the new hole dug before you go to move the tree.Give the tree a bloody good watering once its been transplanted and keep a close eye on it too.No harm to install a length of 3/4 inch hydrodare pipe in with the tree in its new location so that you can also get water diretly to the roots and rootball at the base of the hole.Best of luck with it.

texas star

Thanks a mill for all the advise hes a special tree so don't want to let anything happen to him;)