1) The forks of the tree spade
plunge down around the specimen.
- Move in early spring while the tree is dormant; any other time can be fatal.
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2) Having been soaked overnight,
the earth remains intact around
the roots until pruning.
- More than 95 percent of a tree's roots may be lost in transplanting.
3) The tree is positioned for
traveling to the site of its
future home.
- The bigger the tree, the longer the recovery. A rule of thumb is that it takes one year for every inch of tree diameter to recover. A 6-inch tree could take six years to resume
growth-- or it may die of transplant shock during those six years.