moving a tree

[merejeans]

We have a contorted hazel badly planted between 2 other trees, and would like to move it if poss. It is about 20 years old, 12 feet high and the trunk circumference is approx 3
feet.

Can this be done without killing the tree, and if so how.

Many thanks to any knowledgeable tree people out there.

[Tallulah!]

You would need a huge rootball diameter and depth as you should try to NOT break the tap root. Best to move in the dormant season with NO buds or leaves. The less root disturbance the better.
You would need the luck of the gods on your side and if you manage to dig it out it would need a large amount of water on a weekly basis for a couple of years, preferably with Miraclegro in it.
You must love the tree and it's good that you want to save it when trees are chopped down all round the country because of silly reasons. 'Elf and safety etc.
Good Luck.

[nonomaybe]

As Tallulah! writes, you will have a huge root ball to move a tree that large.My calculation based on your measurements is that you will have a root ball weighing about 1.8 tons.This can be reduced if you were not concerned about time as, by root pruning, which you can do over several seasons, encourage the fibrous feeding roots to develop, so that moving the Corylus may be achievable but you will need more than a wheel barrow and a couple of slaves.

[coccinelle]

If it's still growing after 20 years, it doesn't seem to be suffering. Just leave it be...

[merejeans]

many thanks for your advice, it sounds an almost impossible job. The tree is 20 years old, but was in a pot for the first seven, and didn't grow more than 4 feet, when we planted it in the ground it went mad, and shot up like a rocket. It is very healthy, we even get a few hazel nuts each year, and at the moment it is covered with catkins and new leaf, lovely.

Our reason for wanting it moved is that it is not possible to see it to its best advantage, because of the other trees, but it seems that we may have to put up with that.

We certainly do not want to lose it, like Tallulah, I hate to see trees disappearing. Another thing I don't like is seeing so many trees being covered with ivy, blurring their lovely graceful shapes, and I am sure eventually killing the tree.

Thanks once again Jean

[Tallulah!]

Could you perhaps remove the lower branches of the 'other' trees?
I did that with a beech hedge( that grew into tall trees) to accomodate a 'conker' tree that I grew from the seed.
I'd definitely leave it alone.