Stealing Trees

Yesterday we spent the day (after the glorious motorcycle ride) stealing shade/wind block trees out of the ditch. Technically we paid for the ditch, but the county says it is their easement that we have to care for.  We have never bought shade/wind block trees. We have always just replanted them.

When stealing trees for replant, you want them to be older than first year. This increases their chances of survival. We look for them right before the required mowing time. Most volunteer trees survive being mowed.  The "trunks" should be about pencil width. Once you found them, you will want to use a spade shovel and dig a circle (funnel shaped) 3-4 inches around the base of the tree. You need to remove as much of the tap root as possible.

We place them in plastic sacks to help keep as much as the original soil together as possible.  This helps reduce possible shock.

Dig a new hole, where you want them placed, slightly larger than the chunk of soil you have just removed,

 plant and water. Shock should be kept to a minimum.

Unless you live with Large.