# Moving trees without a tree spade ??



## M.D. Vaden (Feb 12, 2006)

For areas where a tree spade won't fit, but a crane can reach, what techniques are used to get under and support the root ball?

Excavating the sides seems easy enough. And tying a wrap seems straight forward, but how is the underside of the ball cut and secured?

I've seen a few photos of Davey Tree balled trees and another company where they have the entire ball wrapped, or a type of pallet underneath, but I'm wondering how that's accomplished.


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## vharrison2 (Feb 12, 2006)

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/shrubsbushes/ht/transplanting.htm

This gives a pretty good description on how to accomplish the task.


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## Ax-man (Feb 12, 2006)

I don't know if this will do you any good, after you have drum laced and reenforced the the sides of the root ball you could pull the tree over slowly with a winch and undercut with hand tools then put the support under the root ball, then let the tree fall forward slowly of course unto the support. It helps to have the rootball tapered at the bottom instead of straight down.

Another way is pull a cable under the ball with a winch, but you have to improvise a way to guide the cable so it doesn't ride up into the root ball. If you have Harris's book on Arborculture their is a little section on how to do this by digging trenches and using pulleys and pins for the cable, but the description is kinda vague but it will give you a start in the right direction.

All these methods require space to work, sounds like your a little cramped for space. Hope this helps a little. Good luck.

Larry


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## Tree Machine (Feb 12, 2006)

Hi M.D.,

I'm glad you started this thread. A little less than a year ago my video guy asked if I could transplant a Japanese maple for him. I said I'd do it in trade for him videoing the process. This morning I finally sunk a few hours into editing all the footage and got this project finished.

I had what I thought was a somewhat original idea of how to dig up and move a tree. I was pretty sure it would work, but you never know until you try. So we tried.

We shot the video in real-time, beginning to end and it took us 43 minutes. This was just the digging up, lifting and moving of the tree. Re-planting it brought us up to about an hour.

Since I can't post an hour of video, what I did was eliminated the replanting of the tree, since that's pretty obvious of how to do. Your question seems to ask of medium-sized trees, since you refer to mebbe using a crane. The video is smaller-scale, but I think possibly this method could be used for bigger trees with some modification.

I didn't use a crane to do the lift. I used a log arch, which worked magnificently. One could use a skid steer / bobcat, a lull, a crane truck, tow truck, etc as the video will clearly address your question of *containment of the rootball and the rigging necessary to do the lift*.

Since this section of the video was 40-some minutes long, I had to crop out quite a bit, and what was left of the pure action I sped up into fast motion, whacking several minutes of activity into 20 or 30 seconds. I did this repeatedly until all the clips were squeezed and I pumped it out into a streaming Quicktime that was 14.87 meg. The total view time is just over 4 minutes in length.

Since Arboristsite limits videos to about 4 meg, I posted it to a server so it will stream. That way I don't have to bust it up into 4 seperate chunks.

I hope it comes across smoothly. I wanted to attach some music but the file would end up being humongous. It was a really fun project. If my income transplanting trees could be that of my being a climber, I would probably do more of it.

Click here to view the video and be patient. Dial-up guys, it may really take awhile. Broadband, about a minute and a half. Enjoy.


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## skwerl (Feb 12, 2006)

Years ago I did some work at a tree nursury. I've dug and transplanted my fair share of trees. The soil needs to be slightly damp but not soaked, so the dirt will stick together. We used tree spades (flattened out, heavy round shovels with sharpened edge). We marked the outer edge of the root ball and then dug outside of that, digging TO the rootball but not digging into or prying on it. Trench all the way around the tree and continue excavating around the ball, tapering down to about 2.5-3 feet. Then chop under the root ball to sever it off. As long as you don't dig into or pry on the root ball, it usually won't break. Wrap the trunk tightly with a piece of burlap (or small towel) and then tightly wrap your lifting choker over that. On some larger trees, holes were drilled through the trunk and steel rods inserted for lifting. Later, a wooden dowel would be put in the hole and trimmed flush to hide the hole. Hook on with your boom and lift. As soon as it's lifted out of the hole, wrap the ball with burlap and pin it so you prevent dirt loss. 

On a commercial operation, it is similar to how TM did it but without the fence slats.


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## Ax-man (Feb 12, 2006)

Seems we have similar background Skwerl, before I got into cutting trees I was in the nursery landscape end of the green industry.

Back on topic, to me the best tool to use for B&B for digging trees or shrubs is a tilling spade with a flattened end, a good sharp edge, polished and shined so dirt won't stick the spade. The tilling spade can slice out small sections of earth and helps to shape a rootball as you work around it. A regular round point shovel was good for the actual digging of the recieving hole or for moving piled dirt.

TM is on the right track, that log arch looks like a handy tool to have, that was a small tree to move but he saved a few steps of getting it up and out of the hole and tranporting the tree by using his arch, pretty sharp, Congrats

Larry


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## vharrison2 (Feb 12, 2006)

TM, wow I would have never thought of using the boards. Excellent job!


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## Redbull (Feb 12, 2006)

I agree, that was a great idea. And once again, another great video. Thanks.


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## Tree Machine (Feb 12, 2006)

Thanks, gang. 

Once the tree was set in the hole, the lower cam strap was removed and dirt filled up to the level of the higher cam strap. Then the upper one was removed and dirt filled in up to grade. Lastly, the slats were pulled out one at a time with the help of a set of vise-grips.

I used three different types of boards. The white one that I cut off with the Silky was a regular 1x4 and did not do so well. The other two kinds were fence slats, nice because they were ready-made with a point. One type was from the least expensive fence panels available at your home improvement center, thin and rectangular from the end view. They were OK, but only because the soil was forgiving. The best of the three was thicker, and the face side had a convex profile. That one was tougher and could really take a beating. 

The January 2006 issue of _Tree Services_ offered a whole host of planting and transplanting gear, from small to large. Most were transplanting spades, but there was one called the tree toad that was sorta like the fence slat method, only it was made of steel and you would pound the 'spades' in. 

Try this link.


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 12, 2006)

Thanks for the post Tree Machine. 

I downloaded the file, but it does not open in Windows Media Player like most other videos I've downloaded.

Anyone have regular photos?


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## Nickrosis (Feb 12, 2006)

Gotta use Quicktime. Go with the standalone installer for the fastest iTunes-free installation.

*Great video*, Jim! I'm tempted to put a soundtrack on it, but I don't have Premiere on this computer. Wait, I have Premiere Pro on this one. Ah, but I should do my homework first. When the Chipmunks started going, I couldn't hold in the laughs.

Mario, Larry's description is what you would want for a larger tree where you're dragging a cable underneath to sever any roots. With/after the cable, you could pull burlap or something similar underneath to contain the root ball. My Arboriculture copy is at work.


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 12, 2006)

Tree Machine.. Looks like you had that video set to launch in Quicktime, which for some reason has not installed on my computer. But I found a program download called QuickTime Alternative which installed and played the video.

That's a good idea with the boards wedged in. In think I'd experiment with a jig of 2 x 8s to slip over the top of the cedar to take the brunt of the hit. Or maybe dry my ground tamper. But you method seemed to work smooth.

I'd really like to know how to slip a HORIZONTAL supportive layer underneath.

This is one example of what I'm thinking about, only not protruding as much. I'm more after how to add a horizontal tray within the ball rather than a ball on a tray.........

*DAVEY TREE LINK*

:jawdrop:

*DAVEY TREE LINK WITH THAT IMAGE AND MANY MORE*

I Don't need to move trees that large right now, but I'd like to be able to offer the service soon, for trees with balls in the 2000 to 10000 pound range.

Over years at country clubs and university campuses, I've become very adept with heavy equipment, including operation. Right now, I can easily deal with a 500 pound tree. It's how to get under and secure the big ones that I need to ascertain.


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## trees4est (Feb 12, 2006)

I believe they use pipe pushers (or directional borer?) to do that, that's for really big transplants. Are you thinking of doing something that large? I've always wanted to do a huge tree moving project.


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 13, 2006)

Trees4est...

Yes, I'd like to head in that direction for size. Since I've been in Medford, I've had many calls from landscapers trying to track down tree spades or figure out how to move big trees.

I don't think anyone in Medford has a trees spade. I heard of one guy that came up from California, but I don't think he can do it legally yet. A landscape contractors license is needed to do transplanting here. And I may be the only arborist in southern Oregon with a landscape contractors license. At least I don't know of other arborist landscape contractors.

A tree spade may not be a tool I want to buy, because there is a lot of rock in many soils here. Not all, but quite a bit. I have a feeling that that a combination of shovel, backhoe, crane and ingenuity might be the best alternative right now.

I'm 100% certain I can handle this with ease. I'd like to kick myself for not starting it when I was in Portland.

One of the more established companies in portland - with a landscape license, is...

*BIG TREES TODAY*

As this town grows - and it is - if I can get a reputation and work for moving big trees, then a tree spade may be a good alternative later on.


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 13, 2006)

This company has some of the better photos I've seen so far to give an idea of how much excavation is needed.

http://www.capitaltree.net/photo_gallery.htm"

The images are good quality too.


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 15, 2006)

trees4est said:


> I believe they use pipe pushers (or directional borer?) to do that, that's for really big transplants. Are you thinking of doing something that large? I've always wanted to do a huge tree moving project.



Are those - directional borers - like the units that the cable companies use to bore for large conduit?

What trades use pipe pushers?

Can these be rented?


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## jimmyq (Feb 15, 2006)

I have moved a few medium to larger trees. a good trench around intended root ball, good drum lacing are both important. soil condition is also important, too dry and it crumbles and falls away, to wet and its mush. There is a specific sling with leather straps ans such but I only know of one landscaper that has one around here, and he has had it for a long time, cant find them for sale anywhere these days.

his site:
http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~aaaallen/specimen_trees.htm


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 15, 2006)

Nice link. The more the better.

I'm certain I can lace at least that well.

Those trees look like they were dug in a bit deeper with a taper, and possibly rocked to get burlap under.

If wrap is to come off, I think heavy duty landscape weed fabric is incredibly tough.

My preference would be to undermine to drive a platform underneath.

But I think a mimic of a tree spade ball shape can be mimicked by digging.

What do you folks think of a 2 cycle one man auger. It reaches 30" and can go horizontal since it has no oil for the engine. If a jig supports the bit to keep hands clear, it can drill 30" from each side, allowing a 4 x 4 post to be driven though.

What think ye?


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## LarryTheCableGuy (Feb 15, 2006)

I was involved with a big move about three years ago. It was a 70 foot tall Ficus Watkinsiana at the San Diego Zoo. It was an awesome process to observe. The rootball was approximately 20' x 35' and roughly three feet deep.

Preparation of the rootball began a couple of months in advance with a careful root pruning to the shape of the root mass to be excavated. This perimeter trench was then backfilled with a loose growing medium and the roots allowed to heal.

Drill pipe was driven horizontally below the root mass to create a "lifting platform". Beams were then placed along the two long sides below the horizontal pipes (perpendicular to them) and were lifted with a gantry crane system.


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 16, 2006)

jimmyq said:


> I have moved a few medium to larger trees. a good trench around intended root ball, good drum lacing are both important. soil condition is also important, too dry and it crumbles and falls away, to wet and its mush. There is a specific sling with leather straps ans such but I only know of one landscaper that has one around here, and he has had it for a long time, cant find them for sale anywhere these days.
> 
> his site:
> http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~aaaallen/specimen_trees.htm




Maybe you have not seen those straps because they are going out of style. 

Today, I went to a business called Fluid Connectors in Medford - they also carry pulleys, straps, chain, rigging (hard to know by the name)

They have straps of all kinds with loops at the ends. 2' to 12' or more long and 1" to 4" wide. The 3" wide x 3' long straps are about $18 apiece and are rated for 5,400 lbs. straight-up load and near 10,000 lbs. if part of a web-work.

If I put a chain below and a chain above the ball in circles, and cradle up and down with 12 of those straps, that's better than 60,000 to 120,000 lbs. of lifting strength in the straps. I'm going to start with a 16,000 pound chain, so that chain will be the ceiling of the load limit for now.

Several wraps of heavy duty woven weed fabric will increase tons of containment to the rootball when placed over the burlap. I found two sources for the weed fabric.

We have several crane services, with low-boy flatbed trailers. I also located the 2-cycle post hole digger I wanted to prep for driving 4 x 4s under as a pallet.

I'm going to have a metal fabricator weld a long retangular bar onto the edge of a 2' x 3' sheet of 1/4" steel. That will provide a striking edge for a sledge hammer. I'll sharpen the other edge like a knife with a grinder. It will be for driving horizontally at the bottom of the ball's soil to sever it - possibly allowing the passage of burlap and fabric on smaller balls if I don't want to use the pallet method.


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## Ax-man (Feb 16, 2006)

Mario,

I doubt those wide straps are made of leather, probaly sewn nylon, leather could not take a lift like that. The wider the strap and the more you have of them around a root ball the better. Thin straps will cut into soft spots in a rootball when the actual lift takes place.

I worked for a landscape company for a short time, back in stone age 70's. I got in on some this big heavy tree moving. The biggest one was a Sugar Maple with an eight foot root ball. We didn't have fancy equipment like what is being shown in these links. We basically excavated the sides, triple wrapped the ball with burlap, drum laced and used plain old ball chains, no big wide straps, just chains with 2x4's or 4x4,s wedged in between the chains and the ball where the soft spots were. We did a pre lift first to see where the most strain was going to be.

The company never hired a crane to do the lifting, they hired a custom built boom tamdem axle winch truck to do the lifting which could only lift up and out of the hole and put the ball on a cradle that was on the bed on the rear of the truck. 

Larry


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## M.D. Vaden (Feb 16, 2006)

Thanks for the advice Larry.

I may just go with the wider straps, as they can be used on light or heavy rootballs. That will provide that wider contact that you referred to.

United Rental has a flatbed truck with a boom lift for 15,000 lbs. close in, but I would need a commercial drivers license to rent it. So I may stick to the crane for a while.

I can probably safely put a 2 ton ball on my flatbed trailer with my truck, but I'll need a machine to get it out unless I can devise some kind of tripod and lever system.

A google seach with the images tabl produced this image link...

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/collections/stineman/images/91-18564-2768.jpg

It's a horse drawn large tree move. The initial part of the URL seems to indicate a San Diego history photo


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## trees4est (Feb 17, 2006)

M.D. Vaden said:


> Are those - directional borers - like the units that the cable companies use to bore for large conduit?
> 
> What trades use pipe pushers?
> 
> Can these be rented?



I don't know about renting those, but yes, many utility contractors use them, putting conduit and pipe under roads, sidewalks, whatever. If an underground line absolutely has to go near a tree, actually the best way is to go straight under the tree, down a few feet and you'll hit practically nothing. But usually they charge by the foot, sometimes different prices for different diameters. I suppose it's possible to find one for rent from a bigger equipment rental firm, I haven't tried. I don't know how hard they are to use.


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## okietreedude1 (May 6, 2007)

I realize this thread is over a yr old now, but thought Id put in an update:

Thanks TreeMachine for the brilliant idea. Id seen the video when you first posted it and remembered about it enought to dig it up for a refresher course.

I transplanted a tree today using the treemachine method w/ a twist. Instead of using fence boards, I used 36" grading stakes (used to form concrete). Also instead of the log cradle, I substituted a 600tx skidder.

I think I was pretty fortunate the tree was probably only planted no more than 2 yrs ago.

The TM method worked brilliantly!  

Sorry I dont have any video or pics.


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## John Paul Sanborn (May 6, 2007)

So where are you with this Mario? I'd put in my $.02 if it were worth the time.


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## ATH (May 6, 2007)

I wasn't here when this thread first started...but I'll throw in one thing I have heard (but not tired):
I went to an Air Knife training thing a couple of years ago. The guy doing that training said he had moved trees 40"+/- dbh trees by blowing the soil off the roots (and vacuuming it into his chip truck) and lifting the "naked" tree with a relatively light duty crane.


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## M.D. Vaden (May 6, 2007)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> So where are you with this Mario? I'd put in my $.02 if it were worth the time.



Geez Paul...

I aint got two cents left !!  

This thread came out of nowhere today. Noticed in on my stats page. I opened with a question.

Anyway, I'm fairly primitive in my methods. If it can't be hand dug and moved with a few men or a small machine, I pass it on to Big Trees Today of Oregon.

But I have my technique and madness - "so easy a Caveman can do it".

Here's my Caveman explanation page.....and the small video link you'll see down the page show my primitive style. With a few workers and doubling the tarps, its smooth as silk for an on-site move with a tree up to 3 times the size of the pine I slipped out....

http://www.mdvaden.com/transplanting.shtml

I love this method, because two shovels and the tarps are remarkably compact. I can ball-up the tree with them too, for a same day move.

The other ideas are good too. Probably whatever equipment that someone can drag to the site is fine. The way I seen it, if the roots can be cut and not banged to death with blunt edges, and the rootball not get shattered, then the tree should do well.

I'm a suburb service, and many trees - small - are near homes to start with. Little room to extend pipe, boards and gadgets. The amount of area around the average tree dealth with, would seem to frame-in the tools someone needs.


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## xander9727 (May 6, 2007)

Has anyone on here ever tried using an airspade/airknife to clean the dirt off of the roots and move a tree with a bare root system? If so, what was your experience? How well did the tree tolerate the move? What is the largest tree done with this method?
Thanks for you input.


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## M.D. Vaden (May 7, 2007)

No response form J.P. yet !!

Thought for sure he'd tell me I'm candidate for the next Geico commercial


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## Tree Machine (May 7, 2007)

I have zero experience with an airspade but I have a good deal of experience with roots.

Water and nutrients are not pulled into the 'roots' but rather the root hairs. These are fine and tiny and rather delicate. The whole key to successfully transplanting any plant is to preserve the integrity of the root system. The larger the tree, the more critical this is.

Saplings can be moved about bare root, but only as long as those bare roots are kept from drying out. Little trees transpire little moisture. In larger stock there is a greater amount of transpiration going on and a larger root mass and a LOT more root hairs pulling in water and nutrients for that larger crown. 

There is a reason we go to the trouble of keeping the soil intact on trees larger than a pencil in diameter, and that is to keep the root hairs on the roots. It would be so much easier to blast the soil with high-pressure air and take the trees 'naked' , but my senses tell me the success rate would drop. 

First, the abrasion and violent disturbance caused by compressed air- think about, would you shoot a jet of compressed air at your eyeball? No. You'd put your eye out. Tiny, drelicate root hairs would have no chance having the soil ripped off of them.

Second, once bare roots are exposed they are open to the air they are apt to dry out. This is a problem even in potted trees, especially Bonsai. The soil drys out, the root hairs die. You can water and water, but if the tree can't pull water into the roots themselves, transpiration comes to a grinding halt, leaves wither and die in direct response and you have a tree with little chance of recovery. There is only so much stored water in a tree. It depends on a consistent supply from the soil.

I can see the air spade being used in place of a conventional shovel to remove soil outside the dripline, that might work OK, but to remove the soil from the roots as part of the transplant, you're messin with Mother Nature. Even if you went to great lengths to keep the roots moist after the extraction, it doesn't matter. The root hairs are at the foundation of transpiration. The more damaged or destroyed they are, the more it will affect the success of the transplant. This ain't me talkin. This is just basic biology.


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## John Paul Sanborn (May 7, 2007)

I've only heard of one air-tool excavation for transplant, and I think it failed. It's been a long time. I tink desication is a big problem as TM (Jim? Cant remember, been too long) assumed.

I would like to try it some day, I would use the Cornel bare root method of dormant transplant dipped in hydrogel. Last I read they had good results with it, but had no data as to if the hydrogel helped or it was another part of the process.

I like the low N fert recomendations, but it looks like the root ball on Mario's vidio is a little small, I like a 1':1" ratio stem to ball. Sharp shovel is key, I allways use a flat file (bastard-mill) before I stick one in the dirt.

As for a crane move, if you get a deep frost there then digging prior to the freeze and watering the ball down so that it will "frost ball", undermining with pipes driven with a pneumatic hammer, and a loose wrap with tarps.

Once you get a good freeze, cover with straw to prevent any thaw from sun. Then move in and move along. I've seen slings on the pipes, and slings on the trunk base and both.

As for the trunk bolt, I've heard this called the "Disney Method" they use it for helo-lift moves. Since they concider trees props for the set, they are allways looking for trees to replace ones that are loosing their appeal. I understand they can get a big tree replaced in a matter of hours.


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## ATH (May 7, 2007)

Tree Machine,
Those little tiny roots actually don't do too bad having the soil blown off of them. As I said, I have never moved a tree with my Air Knife, but I have seen plenty of roots left intact when it is used correctly.

Of course, this would be a dormant season move so transpiration would be very low. That also means that the tree is ready to put out a new crop of root hairs next spring. Keeping the roots moist isn't that big of a deal (sprinkler).

Sure, it is going to stress the tree, but so is leaving 1/2 or more of the roots behind when you dig a "conventional" root ball...

If anybody is interested in more on this, I can try to track down the guy who told me about his personal experience moving 40" diameter trees.


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## M.D. Vaden (May 7, 2007)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> I like the low N fert recomendations, but it looks like the root ball on Mario's vidio is a little small, I like a 1':1" ratio stem to ball. Sharp shovel is key, I allways use a flat file (bastard-mill) before I stick one in the dirt.



You are right. No glasses for JP  

I was on my own that day way the heck over in Ashland, and was offered two pines for free. The only way I could get them loaded alone was to shave the ball a bit smaller. But the soil was perfect to dig in, and my camera was with.

Geez... the second pine, not shown, twice the size, was at my limits to load and move (alone).

The trees are doing great though. Definitely included stakes.


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## Tree Machine (May 8, 2007)

Okie said:


> Thanks TreeMachine
> 
> I transplanted a tree today using the treemachine method w/ a twist. Instead of using fence boards, I used 36" grading stakes (used to form concrete). Also instead of the log cradle, I substituted a 600tx skidder.
> 
> The TM method worked brilliantly!



Most excellent, sir!



Hey Mario, do you have a link for that 15 minute long two-man transplant system?



OkieTreeDude, this video is for you, who _improved_ on the TM method, this 15 minute video will impress you further. It's a tree transplanting system that is rather basic and very, very ingenius. For you who have never transplanted a tree, you will learn and understand how to transplant a tree. For Okie, the next one may be swifter.


Thanks, Mario.


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## woodchux (May 8, 2007)

The directional boring/tunneling machine mentioned can be rented at most rental stores. It is called a "hole hawg".


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## M.D. Vaden (May 8, 2007)

woodchux said:


> The directional boring/tunneling machine mentioned can be rented at most rental stores. It is called a "hole hawg".



Too bad we can't rent that drum beat guy from the ship in the Ben Hur movie.

For some reason, the ramming of pipes into the holes reminds me of the steady beat that guy pounds out as they advance from "attack speed" to "ramming speed".


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