Hi. I hope someone can help me with my problem. We bought a 25 yr old bungalow that has a huge blue spruce infront of LR window. It is planted about 3-4 feet from the house. It has to be about 10 feet tall and at least 6-8 feet in diameter. Its branches touch the window and eavestrough. We want to move it to a new location but I don't think tree movers will do it for fear of damaging the house foundation.
My questions are 1) Can we do this ourselves with shovels, elbow grease and a truck to pull it out?
2) Will the tree survive such a move anyway or should we just chop it down at Christmas next year?
Deb

Reply to post by debbie, on May 26, 2003 at 19:05:17:

A 10 ft blue spruce is indeed "huge" to do yourself as a first time effort. It is actually quite manageable for someone in the business.

The soil ball that should be dug with this tree would weigh many hundreds of pounds. It could hand dug... even partially machine dug... with little danger to the foundation. There is a risk that the roots are tangled up with typical foundation backfill rubble and that makes it harder to get a good, solid soil ball.

Find out what a nursery would charge to move it and if they will guarantee it. Compare that to what they (or other nurseries) would charge to sell you a new tree of similar size from the nursery with a guarantee. If the new tree is cheaper there is your decision.

You can cut it for a holiday tree. Or still try to move it yourself. But ask a nursery if you can watch them dig a similar size tree to get an idea of what to do. But it won't be easy.