Not all plants in the garden are equally easy or difficult to transplant or remove. If an apple tree is to be transplanted or removed in the garden, there are a few special features to consider.
How do you dig up an apple tree?
To dig up an apple tree, you should carefully dig wide around the trunk so as not to damage its shallow roots. Choose a mild fall day, cut back the tree canopy and use a tarp to protect the root ball after digging.
An apple tree has shallow and fine roots
At first thought, it may be a relief that an apple tree does not have very deep roots. However, as the apple tree has shallow roots, it is even more at risk if its fine roots are cut off carelessly. The fine hair roots in the shallow soil around the tree disc in particular provide the apple tree with much-needed nutrients and moisture. If you cut these fine roots too close to the trunk, the transplanted tree will have a very difficult time growing and surviving in the new location.
You don't transplant an old tree
It is generally very difficult to successfully transplant an apple tree that is more than ten or fifteen years old. That's why every time you plant an apple tree, careful consideration should be given to its future dimensions. If an older apple tree still has to be moved, the following factors are important for its survival:
- a mild and not too dry time in autumn for moving
- sufficient watering at the new location
- carefully digging out the roots
- a strong pruning of the treetop
Due to the shape of the roots, you have to dig less deeply but wider around the tree trunk. If you wrap a tarpaulin or blanket around the root ball for further transport, you will protect it from excessive crumbling of soil as it dries out.
Removing a poorly fruiting apple tree
If you want to remove an old apple tree due to poor harvests, you could first try to re-graft it by copulating a scion. If this doesn't help, you can leave a piece of trunk about one meter long when trimming the tree so that you can use it as a lever when digging out the root ball.
Tips & Tricks
If you plan to plant a new tree in the same location as the old tree, the root network must be completely removed when digging. Otherwise, poor growth of the young seedling may occur.