Transplanting trees... anyone ever used an 'Air Spade/Knife/Home made' to move them?

[Dadnatron]

I've been contemplating purchasing a used Tree Spade to move some trees around on my property. I have several options from 2-6" and I need them elsewhere. These are predominately Oak, Walnut, and Buckeye.

The largest I can reasonably 'purchase' is the Vermeer TS44, which is a 'trailer' type machine which pulls a 44" rootball. So it tops out at about a 4" tree I think and would likely be best at smaller trees. I see these machines online at Auction frequently and they go for around $4-8K in my experience. I'd like a bigger one, but I've not seen anything larger in a trailer type format nor for sale.

I've seen larger ones already on trucks, but that jumps the price into the $20-30K range for anything which looks like it would be worthwhile. I'd really like 3, a 30", 44", and 90"... heh... That combination would allow me to move everything I have on the farm with ease.

So... given these limitations, it was recommended to me that I think about getting an Air Spade and just blow the air away from the roots, leaving them intact, and then use my tractor to move the larger trees to the spot I want them to be. My tractor could handle the larger trees with a modified vertical grapple, I think, but they can't handle the tree and the dirt of a big root ball.

Does anyone have any experience with these types of 'diggers'? They go for FAR TOO MUCH, but if they would allow me to move ALL my trees, then it would be worth it... or worth building one and giving it a go on the cheap. There are instructions online on how to build ones which (according to the folks who have built them) seem to have about 80% of the functionality of the Name Brand versions.

 

[Dadnatron]

I just found this research article on it... it is fascinating and might be the way for most trees to be moved, at least according to the VA Tech article.

Bare Rooting Article VA Tech

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Be sure to look into each trees physiology. Walnuts have a tap root, and don't do well transplanting like a Maple does . Same with some Oaks. Root systems will vary widely depending on soil types and conditions.

 

[fishheadbob]

I would think that an Air Spade needs pretty sandy soil to operate well, I've forgotten your soil type. In the video they were in Hilton head Island which is likely sandy being an island. I would also factor in the cost of a large compressor, not shown but obviously needed to generate that much force. Buying the compressor makes it available whenever you want it, renting it would be an ongoing expense every time you were up for doing some digging. A prior post talks about tap roots which is something you ought research. I dug a lot of trees with a 36" Caretree but they were conifers and had no tap roots. It was nice as it could dig the hole prior to moving the tree instead of you and a shovel preparing the spot. We probably had it 4 years and sold it for what we paid.
Most of the professional diggers I know use different size spades, usually Big John or Dutchman, on some sort of front end loader ranging from skid steers through payloaders, with truck mounted spades for the really big ones.

 

[Dadnatron]

Concerninig 'Taproots', the article actually discusses them.

A horticultural professor says most trees DO NOT HAVE a taproot as they mature. Most roots are relegated to the top 18" of soil and the taproot which is prevalent in very young trees does not continue to grow deeper. But it does go on to say that some 'wild' trees might have a deeper central root, given they have never been moved. But, he states, even with that root being severed during transplant, it is unlikely to be a major portion of the tree's overall root system and that the time of year of transplanting is more of an issue when moving them bare root.

He goes on to say that Almost ALL trees move well, via bare root transplant, when they are moved in a dormant stage. Some, such as Red Maple (as his example) can withstand being moved during full leaf/growth in summer. But others will not withstand the move at any time except for during dormancy (Willow Oak).

I'm trying to find the actual article. One of the authors has passed away, but I have contacted VTech and hopefully, they will have it somewhere. I've also emailed the second author. Hopefully between the two, I'll be able to get the info I need.

If I can find a dead man valve, I think I can make an airspade which will do the job, at least good enough to try. I have some small trees that I might try, but I have 2 - 8" and a 10" that will either have to come down and become firewood or be moved. I might try them as well, depending upon how the smaller trees go.

I'm thinking about fabricobbling a vertical gripper, kind of like a round bale mover, to move and control the trees. Might make it an bolt on to my forks, so I can slide the forks under the roots and grasp the trunk above, in order to control it.

I don't know... lots of thoughts running around in my head... and I need to be working on putting in fence!!!