The science behind the relocation of mature trees and hedges

For developers, golf course managers and estate owners, the idea of moving a mature tree - perhaps even one with a 125-tonne root ball, as famously featured in the Sunday Times Home section - might seem an insurmountable challenge. Yet, the transplanting of large trees and extensive hedges is a remarkably achievable process, provided you have the right expertise and specialised equipment, writes Robert Wilkins, operations director at Ruskins, one of the country’s leading experts in everything to do with trees and healthy soils.

Transplanting existing trees, hedges and shrubs offers significant advantages over removal and replanting with new, smaller specimens. Economically, relocating trees using Tree Spades can also save up to 90% against the cost of purchasing the same size trees. This immediately enhances the aesthetic appeal and perceived value of a landscape, delivering an established look that new plantings cannot replicate for decades.

Tree moving particularly addresses critical challenges on development sites. Trees and hedges, including those protected by Preservation Orders (TPOs), can be strategically relocated with local authority approval. This improves essential access, increases plot sizes, or allows for optimal building placement. Specimens can be moved directly to a new permanent location, placed into safe temporary storage areas (on or off-site), or entirely removed for replanting elsewhere.

This flexibility extends to golf courses, where tree reserves are regularly exploited to improve course design, especially when there is a need to prevent balls from entering adjacent properties, or to create and replace hazards.

The methodology for tree transplanting varies depending on the specimen's size and the specific site conditions. For trees with a trunk diameter up to approximately 20cm, a specialised Tree Spade offers a cost-effective and time-saving solution. These machines excavate a compact root ball, enabling efficient relocation. Companies like ours use a fleet of such spades, including 2m diameter large Spades, to handle a broad spectrum of projects.

For larger trees, beyond the capacity of Tree Spades, there is an alternative - the "root ball, frame, and crane" technique. This approach means we can handle the very largest trees, illustrated by the successful relocation of a TPO'd Pine with a 125 -tonne root ball, mentioned at the start of this blog. This process involves carefully creating a bespoke root ball, securing it within a specialised frame and then moving the entire unit, often by a combination of dragging and crane lifting. This process is undertaken without lifting on the trunk.

Root preparation and aftercare

The success of large tree transplanting is significantly improved by careful preparation, particularly in the area of root pruning. This involves strategically severing roots to stimulate the growth of new, fibrous feeder roots closer to the trunk, preparing the tree for relocation. Ideally, this process spans up to two years, resulting in a higher quality transplant. Where time constraints prevent such a prolonged preparation period, it may be possible to increase the size of the root ball and more intensive aftercare is implemented to compensate.

Regardless of the moving method, competent aftercare is as vital as the transplanting itself. This post-move care supports the tree as it re-establishes its root system in its new location. For the largest specimens, this critical aftercare period can extend up to ten years, ensuring the tree successfully re-establishes its full root network.

Hedge transplanting also benefits using a similar approach. While hedges can be coppiced for relocation, specialised techniques exist to transplant them without reducing their benefits. This allows hedges to appear the same in their new location, retaining immediate screening, wildlife, barrier or aesthetic benefits.

These advanced techniques have earned recognition from regulatory bodies, with one Local Authority Tree Officer, when approving the root balling of eight mature Lime trees for a major development, commented, "I can find no reason to refuse this application." This underscores the efficacy and acceptance of modern tree transplanting practices in delivering challenging projects while preserving valuable natural assets.

Far from being an impossible task, the relocation of established trees and hedges represents a sophisticated solution for contemporary landscape and construction challenges. This specialised capability not only delivers immediate visual impact and significant cost efficiencies (when moving with Tree Spades), but also provides a crucial tool for preserving valuable natural assets on complex sites, demonstrating a clear commitment to both environmental stewardship and strategic development goals.