Question
I have a situation in which a lilac bush and pine tree are planted WAY TO CLOSE to one another.  I want to transplant the lilac.  However, it is within about four feet of the trunk of pine which is about 20-25 feet tall.  How can I safely removed the lilac without undue damage to the roots of the pine?  Will the pine survive the removal of the nearby lilac?

Answer
Digging the lilac bush should not harm the root system of the tree. You may cut a few roots but the amount will not be a problem especially with pine that has a tap root.  
Here are a few thing to keep in mind when you do move the lilac bush.
Shrubs may be planted either in the spring or the fall. Deciduous plants may be moved in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes.

When you want to dig up a tree or shrub for transplanting, retain as much of the root system as possible. Shrubs can be successfully moved only if a ball of soil is left around the roots. The exposed roots should be protected with moist burlap or newspaper or with polyethylene sheeting. Every effort should be made to reduce root exposure to wind and sun, keeping the ball as moist as possible. It's best to prepare the hole before digging up the tree you wish to move.

Size of the root ball and size of the hole:

For deciduous trees and shrubs the soil ball should be:

Width = 9-12 in. in diameter/every 1 in. of tree diameter
Depth = 6 in./every 1 in. of tree diameter

For example: A tree trunk 2 inches wide would need a soil ball of 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep.

Dog the new hole twice the size of the rootball and as deep and fill with good top soil and mulch around the shrub with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk.