Question
We are having some construction done on our home and will have to move three Purple Sand Cherry trees this August.  We are in zone 4 (Ohio)and cannot wait until the fall for the trees to go dormant. The trees are approximately 8 years old and are about 7' tall. Do you have any suggestions on steps we can take to make the move successful and save the trees?
Thank you.

Answer
As you already know the best time would be in the Fall so you will need to be careful with the roots when you dig and transplant the tree.

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 2 inches wide would need a soil ball of 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep.

Dig the new hole twice the size of the root ball and as deep. Fill with good top soil or potting soil and mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk. Water every third day with 1 inch of water--place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. I would do this for the first month then once a week.

This will be a big job and care need to be taken to protect the new planting site from the construction traffic.