Question
Dear Jim, I live in Petoria, South Africa. The climate is very temperate. I have two cupressus trees, about 5 years old and want to move them to another spot. Is it possible to do that without damaging them? Felicia

Answer
When you want to dig up a tree or shrub for transplanting, retain as much of the root system as possible.
all ages of evergreens, 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 wide would need a soil ball of 36-48 inches wide and 24 inches deep.

Dig the new hole twice the size of the root ball. Plant the root ball even with the ground surface and fill the hole with good top soil and mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches of mulch (do not pile the mulch up on the tree trunk) and water through the first summer.
Transplant these in early spring after the ground is not frosting (maybe late Feb. or early March depending on where you live).
Do not fertilize the first year after transplanting.
As you can see this large of a tree will be a big job to dig and move and transplant.