I have a client who is fairly insistent on having 14" cal, wh.oak. I have had great sucess moving large maple and spruce and other large cal. trees. 4" oak we moved some years ago took but were diff.and slow recovering. Does anyone have any experience they would like to share on transplanting large white oak?I have found a beautiful specimen but may it belongs just where it is? Also, is there any interest in a 14" cal acer griseum

Reply to post by stef, on November 26, 1998 at 22:58:24:

I don't do spade work but understand that Q. alba tends to root very deep, even in heavy clay. I was on a construction site where the dug close to some 20 in spec. and saw substantial roots abt 20in down 10-15 ft out.

seems like spading would not be best. Write up the work plan to; excivate, prune roots, crane it onto a flatbed (may need house [foundation] jacks and supports) then plant in a well prepared/amended site. Maybe that would convince him to go with a realistic size plant.

jps

Reply to post by stef, on November 26, 1998 at 22:58:24:

My experiance is that white oak resents moving and that the difficulty of reestablishment really begins to increase above 5 or 6 inch caliper. Given the architecture of their rootsystem, a 14 inch tree is going to have one enormous rootball if you want to give it as much of a chance as possible. I would shoot for an 18 foot diameter rootball....... (I err on the side of caution)

Might be worth finding out how Longwood Gardens did the trees they recently moved by helicoptor. I know the bare rooted them and lifted them into place but I do not know how they figured root requirement and what precautions were taken. They are located in Kennett Square PA.