Tree Transplanting
Expert tree transplanting that moves mature specimens safely to new locations across your property or beyond with attention to every detail
5 Highlights on Tree Transplanting
- Mature specimen relocation — Our expert certified arborists transplant caliper sized deciduous, coniferous, and fruit trees using hydraulic tree spades that excavate root balls up to 90 inches in diameter, preserving the fibrous feeder roots and lateral root structure that determine post move survival rates.
- Balled and burlapped preparation — We wrap every root ball in burlap and secure it within a wire basket before transport, keeping the root flare intact and preventing soil separation from the taproot and surrounding root zone during hauling on our flatbed trailers.
- Crane assisted positioning — Our crew uses cranes and crane rigging with certified slings, shackles, and pulleys to lift and lower large specimen trees into prepared planting holes, placing each trunk at the correct grade relative to the root flare without bark damage or cambium injury.
- Post transplant stabilization — We stake and guy every relocated tree with turnbuckles and guy wire anchored to driven stakes, bracing the trunk against wind throw while the root system establishes in amended soil enriched with mycorrhizae and slow release fertilizer.
- Monitored aftercare programs — Quick Cut provides drip irrigation setup, soaker hose installation, and scheduled follow up inspections to monitor plant health and watch for transplant shock symptoms like wilting foliage, chlorosis, leaf drop, and dieback throughout the first two growing seasons as part of our comprehensive care services.
Why Choose Our Tree Transplanting Service
Tree transplanting is a high stakes operation that demands arboricultural expertise, specialized heavy equipment, precise timing, and careful management of every phase. Quick Cut Tree Service brings all three to every landscaping and tree transplanting job.
Our team includes ISA certified arborists who assess each specimen tree before we dig. They evaluate species, caliper, canopy spread, root zone health, and soil conditions at both the origin and destination sites. That assessment determines the correct tree spade size, the excavation depth needed to capture enough feeder roots, and the best season for the move. Dormant season transplanting works well for most deciduous species. Evergreen and coniferous trees often tolerate early fall relocation.
We carry full liability insurance and comply with ANSI Z133 safety standards on every work zone. Our crews hold TCIA accreditation and operate crane rigs, bucket trucks, aerial lifts, and hydraulic tree spades maintained to manufacturer specifications.
Quick Cut guarantees a one year survival warranty on every transplanted tree when clients follow our prescribed aftercare schedule. That schedule covers watering frequency, mulch depth, fertilizer application timing, tree pruning guidelines, and stake removal dates. No other local tree maintenance and transplanting service matches that commitment.
We’ve relocated heritage trees for municipalities, shade trees and fruit trees for commercial developers as part of our commercial services, and prized ornamental specimens for homeowners who refuse to lose a tree they’ve watched grow for decades. Transplanting protects property value and preserves irreplaceable canopy. Our track record speaks through root systems that establish and canopies that fill back in.
Signs You Need Tree Transplanting
Tree transplanting becomes the right call in specific situations. Recognizing them early gives your specimen the best chance of surviving the move.
New construction encroaches on the root zone. When a building permit, easement, or utility line installation puts excavation equipment within the drip line of a mature tree, the root system faces severing and compaction. Transplanting the tree before construction begins protects the taproot, lateral roots, and feeder roots from backhoe damage that no amount of post construction care can reverse. Acting early avoids an emergency tree removal situation where tree removal becomes the only remaining option.
The tree outgrew its planting site. A vigorous shade tree planted too close to a foundation, power line, or neighboring structure will develop girdled roots, a lopsided canopy, or scaffold branch interference. While trimming services and tree pruning can prune back growth temporarily, relocating it to an open area with adequate canopy spread clearance lets the crown and root flare develop without structural conflict.
Landscape redesign demands a new layout. Property owners redesigning outdoor spaces as part of a landscape management plan sometimes need to reposition established specimen trees, ornamental cultivars, or windbreak rows. Transplanting preserves years of growth that replacement nursery stock can’t match.
Soil conditions deteriorated at the current site. Waterlogged, compacted, or nutrient deficient soil causes chronic stress visible as stunted growth, chlorosis, and progressive dieback. Moving the tree to a well drained site with loamy, amended soil restores access to oxygen and nutrients at the root zone level.
A heritage or specimen tree faces removal. Municipal ordinances sometimes protect heritage trees from felling. When a protected tree sits in the path of development, transplanting satisfies the ordinance, preserves the urban forest canopy, and avoids permit violations and fines. This environmentally friendly approach eliminates the need for tree removal and stump removal entirely. Quick Cut has completed permitted heritage tree relocations for city projects where no other option existed.
Our Tree Transplanting Process
Tree transplanting follows a strict sequence. Each step protects the specimen and sets up long term establishment at the new site.
Step 1 — Site assessment and species evaluation. . A certified arborist inspects the tree, measuring caliper at DBH, evaluating crown structure, checking for disease, decay, or pest infestation, and testing soil pH and drainage at both locations. We confirm the tree is transplantable and healthy enough to survive the move.
Step 2 — Root pruning (when timing allows). For large mature trees, we trench around the root zone three to six months before the move date. This severs lateral roots cleanly and stimulates fibrous feeder root growth closer to the trunk, creating a denser root ball that travels well.
Step 3 — Excavation and root ball preparation. Our hydraulic tree spade or backhoe excavates the root ball to the diameter and depth the species and caliper require. The crew wraps the ball in burlap, secures it in a wire basket, and inspects the root flare for girdling or damage.
Step 4 — Transport and crane placement. We load the balled and burlapped tree onto a flatbed trailer, haul it to the destination, and use a crane or skid steer to lift and lower it into a prepared planting hole dug to the exact depth of the root ball. The root flare sits at grade. No deeper.
Step 5 — Backfill, staking, and aftercare setup. The crew backfills with amended soil, tamps it in layers, builds a berm for water retention, applies mulch and mycorrhizae, and installs guy wire stabilization. We connect a drip irrigation system or soaker hose and schedule monitoring visits through the first two growing seasons.
Brands We Use
Quick Cut Tree Service relies on these trusted brands:
- Dutchman Tree Spade
- Big John Tree Transplanter
- Stihl
- Husqvarna
- Vermeer
- Samson Rope
- DMM
- Ditch Witch
- Rain Bird
- BASF
Every piece of equipment undergoes pre job inspection.
Other Services
| tree transplanting | tree relocation service | root ball excavation |
| transplant mature tree | move large tree | balled and burlapped tree |
| tree transplanting service | specimen tree moving | hydraulic tree spade service |
| professional tree transplanting | tree relocation near me | post transplant tree care |
| tree transplanting cost | large tree transplanting company | root pruning before transplant |
FAQs About Tree Transplanting
What is tree transplanting?
Tree transplanting is the process of excavating an established tree from one location and replanting it in another. The operation involves digging around the root zone to create an intact root ball, wrapping it in burlap for protection, transporting the specimen, and positioning it in a prepared planting hole at the new site. Professional tree transplanting preserves years of growth that would otherwise be lost to removal.
When is the best time to transplant a tree?
Dormant season produces the best results for most deciduous species. Late fall through early spring, before bud break, gives roots time to establish before summer heat stresses the canopy. Coniferous and evergreen trees often transplant well in early fall when soil remains warm enough for root growth but air temperatures have cooled. Our arborists determine the ideal window based on species, hardiness zone, and local soil conditions.
How large a tree can you transplant?
Quick Cut relocates trees with trunk calipers exceeding 10 inches using truck mounted tree spades and crane rigging. The practical limit depends on species, root structure, site access for heavy equipment, and the health of the specimen. Taprooted species like oaks present different challenges than fibrous rooted maples. We assess every tree individually.
Can a transplanted tree survive?
Survival rates run high when the transplanting crew captures an adequate root ball, moves the tree during the correct season, and follows a structured aftercare program. Proper watering through drip irrigation, mycorrhizae application, staking for wind stability, and mulching around the root zone all contribute to successful establishment. Quick Cut backs our work with a one year survival warranty.
How much does tree transplanting cost?
Cost depends on the tree’s caliper, species, distance of the move, equipment required, and site accessibility. A small ornamental specimen costs far less than a mature shade tree requiring crane rigging and a 90 inch tree spade. Contact Quick Cut Tree Service for a free on site estimate that accounts for every variable specific to your tree, property, and budget.
Does transplanting damage the tree?
Any transplant involves root loss. The goal is minimizing that loss and maximizing recovery. Root pruning months before the move encourages dense feeder root growth within the future root ball. Proper excavation technique, careful handling during transport, correct planting depth, and consistent post transplant irrigation all reduce stress and prevent long term damage.