Question
I read your advice about transplanting a pear tree, and want to know if it would also work for an old (35-years+) Bartlett pear which is about 12-feet tall ( but skinny).  Other trees have grown so it doesn't get much sun where it is now.  Should I prune it first (in November or December)?  How large would the root ball need to be?  Does it have a deep "tap" root that I'd need to protect? We are in California.  Thank you.

Answer
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.

Older 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.

The new hole should be twice the size of the root ball and as deep and filled with good top soil.

For this size tree this will be a very large root ball and will be heavy. It sounds like it maybe best to just plant another tree rather than trying to move this one.