Question
I have a very large river birch planted too close to the front of my house. Planted about 7 seven years ago at about 6 ft., now to be 30-40 ft. tall. Would like to move this river birch about 12-15 ft. away from where it is located it has grown too close to the front of my house.  It is quite a spectacular, beautiful tree, would hate to kill the tree should I move it.  Please let me know if it can safely be moved and re-planted.

Thanks,
Linda

Answer
This is not the best time to move these trees.

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. Deciduous trees 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 4 inches in diameter would need a soil ball of 36-48 inches wide and 24 inches deep.

Keep in mind this will be a big job. There are companies that can move trees this large--They use a tree spade machine for this. Check with your local tree nursery for a vender. IF you have someone move it get a guarantee that it will live. But expect some dieback from the shock of moving this large a tree.    

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