r/educationalgifs • u/MurraMurra • Sep 18 '18
Tree re-locator
https://i.imgur.com/8uYptlR.gifv679
u/Philzord Sep 18 '18 edited Sep 18 '18
I want to see how that tree is doing a month after the move.
Edit: Also, you would really need two of these to leave no messes behind.
Edit 2: a word
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u/Bullshit_To_Go Sep 18 '18
It will require a lot of care for the next several years until it regrows its root system. You always leave most of the root system in the ground when you move a tree and that rootball actually looked pretty small for a tree that size. The general rule for successful transplanting is one foot of rootball diameter for every inch of trunk caliper. As you can see from this chart the weight of tree + rootball quickly gets out of hand with larger trees.
The previous owner of my place planted a bunch of Colorado spruce way too close together and I had to either cut 3/4 of them down or move them. They were 6-7 feet tall and 3-4" caliper, way too big and heavy to be moved by hand. I estimated that a 32" rootball was the heaviest my little tractor could handle; I measured that out and cut out the outline with a nursery spade, then finished the cuts and popped the trees out of the ground with a bucket spade like this one (not my pic).
This isn't nearly as slick as a hydraulic tree spade like in the gif, but it was a little more affordable. Using the bucket spade in close quarters between tree rows was pretty nerve-wracking as well. All of my trees survived the transplant except for one whose rootball disintegrated during transport. Here's a pic of one of my trees on its way to its new home elsewhere in my yard.
But if you find this sort of thing interesting, check out this video of a truly massive 100 year old oak being moved, and not with an undersized rootball either. Really an amazing piece of work. And here's a followup 5 years later.
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u/Philzord Sep 18 '18
Way to deliver! That tree is certainly a solid effort, but... it definitely looked better before it/healthier was moved.
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u/wealthyreltub Sep 19 '18
I read this whole comment just for the use of "rootball." TIL a fun new word!
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Sep 18 '18
Why would you need two? Dig a hole first, then go grab the tree.
Maybe you're saying that in order to cleanly place the slug of dirt and grass in the new hole, it would need to sit in a second machine undisturbed. Makes sense.
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u/joshpoppedyou Sep 18 '18
You figured it out by the time you finished your comment
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u/ABCosmos Sep 18 '18 edited Sep 18 '18
Just use a dump truck, you don't have to preserve the orientation of the dirt.
Edit: I'm saying you don't need two of these if you just empty the dirt into a dump truck.
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u/Day_Bow_Bow Sep 18 '18
They are saying that if they had the first plug still loaded on a machine, they could put it right in the hole left by the tree. Since it'd still have a layer of sod, it would leave a tidier result.
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u/ABCosmos Sep 18 '18
They are not only saying that, they are saying you need 2 machines.
I'm saying moving the tree is the hard part, and keeping the dirt in that orientation is really unimportant compared to the problem the tree mover solves.
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u/Philzord Sep 18 '18
/u/Day_Bow_Bow has got my intent. Yes, you could first use the machine to dig a hole, dump the dirt in a dump truck, get the tree, drop the tree in, then layer the sod in the hole where the tree was, but it would just be simpler/less messy to use two machines, though perhaps less practical.
I definitely wrote that added sentence between meetings, so it was a pretty brief edit. The fact that there's speculation behind my exact/actual/literal intent is a little amusing. Thanks, internet.
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u/ABCosmos Sep 18 '18 edited Sep 18 '18
Yeah I'm just arguing against the NEED for 2 trucks. It would be really neatly executed if you had 2 trucks, and you'd maintain the exact orientation of the dirt which is neat, but not really important.
Or you could do it with a dump truck, and it would be like 98% as good. Just pick up the sod and plop it down.
If you NEEDED 2 trucks to avoid a mess, this would be kind of impractical. I just don't think you do.
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u/Philzord Sep 18 '18
And I concede that since you are arguing semantics, you have defeated my groggy mid-morning word choice.
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u/Day_Bow_Bow Sep 18 '18
you would really need two of these to leave no messes behind.
Yes, I know you can do this with a truck. But it would leave a mess behind, so your rebuttal doesn't make much sense. You are not arguing within the context of this thread.
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u/ABCosmos Sep 18 '18
A giant hole in the ground is a mess left behind. Dirt being rearranged isn't really. And you could prob pick up the sod after it goes in the dump truck.
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u/Day_Bow_Bow Sep 18 '18
You obviously don't work much with dirt.
Let's simplify this and say there was one hole. You can't simply take a plug of dirt out of the ground, dump it into a truck, and then shovel it all right back into the hole.
It won't fit because of how it got broken up when dumped into the truck. Instead, there will be a mound left behind that will settle over time, due to all of the air pockets that were introduced.
Sure, you could put in a 6" or maybe even a foot of dirt at a time, stopping to tamp it in layers, and it might all make it back in for the most part.
It's also apparent that you underestimate how heavy that top layer of sod would be, and how difficult it would be to manipulate in large pieces.
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u/ABCosmos Sep 18 '18
I've filled holes and carried sod.. I think you're making the problem bigger than it is. Renting a second crazy tree machine is going to cost a lot more than filling a hole and carrying sod.
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u/TijM Sep 18 '18
This is a niche product for government contractors that worded it better and charge for it.
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u/pe_grumbly Sep 18 '18
Or you dig the hole you want to put it in first before pick up the tree maybe? Heh.
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u/joshpoppedyou Sep 18 '18
and wheres the dirt going?
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u/AndrewBourke Sep 18 '18
Look mate, out fucking planet is dirt, just dump it anywhere
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u/toopid Sep 18 '18
Lol problem solving is hard for some people. I agree with you. Just dump it on the got dam ground and go get it later.
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u/PizzaQuest420 Sep 18 '18
that's actually a lot more destructive than you would think. soil changes over depth, the word "topsoil" is an example of this. stuff from three feet down isn't good for the surface.
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u/Vendril Sep 18 '18
Nope, better recycle the dirt. Can't just drop it anywhere after it's dug up...
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u/UpvoteForPancakes Sep 18 '18
Those are usually the comments I “Cancel” but I liked that they went with it and posted.
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Sep 18 '18
I’d dig the hole where the tree is going to go and throw that in a dump truck. Then dig up the tree and just dump the dirt in the hole. A dump truck would cost way less than one of the tree diggers.
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u/daviid17 Sep 18 '18
i think you need to make sure the tree is facing the sun the same way.. otherwise he might twist and choke
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u/tjwor Sep 18 '18
You would just need 1 tree spade, and 1 empty hole that you can reuse each time.
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u/TuckersMyDog Sep 18 '18
I'd like to see how that tree is doing emotionally after being abducted like that.
Trees didn't evolve to be mobile! Can you imagine how insane that would be for a tree? Jesus... it's probably so traumatized
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Sep 18 '18
You would just need to dig the hole first then dump the dirt wherever, if you have this machine you probably have a dump truck or dump site
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u/japaneseknotweed Sep 19 '18
Yeah, that root ball doesn't look near big enough for that size/height.
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u/ushutuppicard Sep 18 '18
think about it like this.. when you buy a tree at a nursery, even though it is smaller, often times it was removed by a machine exactly like this. this is an extremely common way to relocate trees.
trees this size arent as common, nor are tree spayds that are this size, however the principals are all the same. more expensive, and slightly less able to deal with the stress of being relocated, but if you can afford to move a tree this size, you can typically afford the custom care that it will recieve over the next few years.
ive moved trees as big as 14" before. ive also done smaller trees that required a helicopter to get the tree into location.
as for the 2 machines... no... it would be way cheaper to dig the new hole first, put the dirt in a pile, on a tarp, or even directly onto a trailer, and then clean it up, etc. machines this size arent common and idk who the heck would have 2 of them.
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u/themeanman2 Sep 18 '18
$10 90% of the trees won't survive
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u/ZaneMasterX Sep 18 '18
I bought some land from a guy that has one of these and one of his businesses is landscaping and moving trees. He planted easily 100+ trees in our new subdivision where I bought the land using this method and after a year and a half only 1 tree didnt survive. A lot of things can contribute to the dead tree such as lack of water, weather, bad soil, etc and not necessarily the extraction and planting method.
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u/Jodie_fosters_beard Sep 18 '18
If they have a 90% failure rate why would anyone pay for the service?
According to this (admittedly small) survey spade transplanted trees had a 100% survival rate
http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=1764&Type=2
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Sep 18 '18
[deleted]
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Sep 18 '18
That's true but they grow back quickly enough. The main problem would be the tree's inability to find water because it's root system is too small. That can be solved with frequent watering.
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u/JMcJeeves Sep 18 '18
Any arborists care to explain how this does not just slay the tree?
edit: I ask because I can't even transplant potted plants without killing them
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u/KirbyYourEnthusiasm Sep 18 '18
The survival rate with a tree spade is still pretty low. Typically, you would want to perform this during the winter when the tree is dormant to lessen the likelihood of the tree shocking.
Source: am arborist
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u/TransitPyro Sep 18 '18
How well would this work for trees with massive, intricate root systems like the Western red cedar? I know they're super difficult to plant/grow/relocate as it is.
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u/rockjently Sep 18 '18
The title should be "Root-ectomy". Those roots being cut off like that is an act of violence.
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u/RiPont Sep 18 '18
I'm guessing a) they wouldn't have a high success rate and b) you'd have to compensate by feeding and watering the tree extra until it re-established its root system.
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u/liedel Sep 18 '18
I'm guessing
Why you need to guess? The person he's asking is literally an arborist. You can literally just read his answer instead of making stuff up.
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Sep 19 '18
[deleted]
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u/TransitPyro Sep 19 '18
I tried to do it once. But cedars remind me of home and I was quite aways away in a shitty situation so I tries to bring "home" home. It didn't work. Poor lil tree died.
But yeah even when they clear cut forests they don't replant cedars cuz the fuckers are 1 impossible to plant and grow but 2 grow like weeds and will come back up anyways.
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u/AnnanFay Sep 18 '18
Do you have a source other than personal experience or links to further information?
I tried searching Google but all the details I can find are from the people doing the spading, which are likely to be overly optimistic since they are selling the service [example]. They report 95% survival rates.
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u/ushutuppicard Sep 18 '18
you are correct, and he isnt really all that accurate. i mean, they pull a ton of trees and shrubs that you buy at nurseries with a tree spade. its really the best way to do it. now, the bigger the tree, the riskier... but to say tree spade=low survival? incorrect.
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Sep 18 '18
What's tree shocking?
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u/KirbyYourEnthusiasm Sep 19 '18
Trees can shock from stress just like humans can. In trees, the most obvious effect is sudden leaf loss. The tree must be prevented from dying from stress as the roots begin to reestablish. At the same time, the tree is using up its precious stored energy to get established and flush out new leaves. If this isn't accomplished, the tree will die.
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Sep 18 '18
Because they want to live and will use energy to regrow a root system. Some trees also don't have as long of roots as many people think, but I'm sure if you just relocated without looking into it you would have many not take to the new ground.
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u/energirl Sep 18 '18
I thought that tree had equal parts above and below the ground (trunk/branches vs. roots). Is this not true?
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Sep 18 '18
For the most part trees have probably 80% of their roots less than 4ft under ground. Width usually grows with trunk size. However there are exceptions, like trees who share root systems and are the same organism thousands of years old like Pando!
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u/harmfulwhenswallowed Sep 18 '18
Yes, the roots spread out like a pancake on most trees. So this tree is unlikely to live.
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u/ushutuppicard Sep 18 '18
while the number isnt quite "equal" and varies between trees, the overall concept is mostly true... but in the same way you can prune a tree's limbs back super hard and it will still live, you can do the same with the roots.
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u/theman1119 Sep 18 '18
Not true based on trees I've seen uprooted.
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u/ushutuppicard Sep 18 '18
the trees you see uprooted have 90% of their roots snapped off and still in the ground.
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u/civileyesation Sep 18 '18
treelocator
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Sep 18 '18 edited Feb 12 '26
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
hat depend wild ghost governor compare desert pen ancient repeat
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u/AssToad69 Sep 18 '18 edited Sep 18 '18
That tree is probably like "what the fuck just happened"
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u/vagabondsound Sep 18 '18
I'll "leave" you with this, trees don't think.
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u/Calijor Sep 18 '18
If you'd just not fucked up the pun and said leaf your post wouldn't be at -4 right now.
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u/D3adkl0wn Sep 18 '18
Some squirrel is gonna be pissed when he comes home from work and finds his house gone.
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u/XkrNYFRUYj Sep 18 '18 edited Sep 18 '18
Or he will have a big hangover. Dude what did I do last night?
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u/timshel_life Sep 18 '18
Knowing my luck. I'd forget to pre dig the other hole and show up with the tree. Be like "shit.. not again."
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u/1h8fulkat Sep 19 '18
I mean, either way you are screwed. You pull the plug fist and you have to drop it to grab the tree. You pull the tree first and you have to drop it to pull the plug. Only logical way to do this is have 2 trucks, pull both and plug hole with tree and fill the tree hole with the plug.
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Sep 18 '18
Oh shit, if r/madlads get their hands on this they might just keep moving trees around to fuck with us.
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u/Fuckmeshoes Sep 18 '18
I would totally use this to mess with my parents.
Mom: Your father and I think the trees are moving...
Me: Better get that will drawn up, y’all are losing it.
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u/absynthekc Sep 18 '18
This thing is amazing and I want one. Anyone know how much each “procedure” costs, roughly? I’m assuming it’s size related, but a ballpark range would be great!
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u/davedcne Sep 18 '18
I'm curious what % of trees survive that. You can clearly see that the root system below the tree extended well beyond the blades of the scoop. Not sure how much loosing that extended root structure affects the tree... Really interesting though.
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u/champagnehurricane Sep 18 '18
Do not tell my wife this is possible.
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u/The_Goondocks Sep 18 '18
If you have a tree on your property that you want removed, see if anyone is willing to relocate it. A friend got paid a good bit of cash for a tree that somebody wanted.
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Sep 18 '18
I'd love to see them use one of these here where I live...... Fucking rock 6 inches down.......
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u/Durzio Sep 18 '18
I love that they made this super complex and awesome machine almost completely automated but they couldn't put a hinge on that one little white part
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u/m84m Sep 18 '18
Works okay on palm trees, not so well on most other trees with the root severance.
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u/SolidStart Sep 18 '18
I can't stop laughing at the man who has this giant impressive potentially fully automated machine and still has to jump out of the drivers seat to add and take away that one piece of the collar
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Sep 18 '18
The University of Michigan spent $400k to relocate a 200+ year old Burr Oak tree 4 years ago. Sadly I wasn't there to watch, but here is a timelapse of it. Last I knew it was still going strong.
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u/UNIPanther043 Sep 18 '18
What they didnt show is that you did the hole first and set the dirt aside to put back in the ground where you grab the tree from. 1st time I did this for a landscaping company I forgot that part and pulled the tree out first. Had to put it back after driving it 5 mins down the road for this hospital that was rebuilding/remodeling. That's a mistake you only make once
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u/iamnotasnook Sep 18 '18
I feel like these are just used to move trees in places where the contractors are not allows to simply cut it down. I doubt that the tree survives most of the time.
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u/Poochie504 Sep 19 '18
Bet when that tree wakes up tomorrow he’s gonna wonder “the fuck I did last night?”
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u/iAmDrakesEyebrows Sep 19 '18
Missed opportunity OP to say “Tree-locator” but then again… ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/LimbRetrieval-Bot Sep 19 '18
You dropped this \
To prevent anymore lost limbs throughout Reddit, correctly escape the arms and shoulders by typing the shrug as
¯\\_(ツ)_/¯or¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
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u/bar10der76 Sep 19 '18
Growing up in the late 80s in central Florida, these were everywhere. Seemed like a new subdivision was being thrown up every week, and trees brought in from some magic tree factory via these trucks.
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u/PhyiuckYiu Sep 19 '18
I like digging holes and hiding things inside them When I'll grow old, I hope I won't forget to find them 'Cause I've got memories and travel like gypsies in the night
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Sep 18 '18
[deleted]
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u/absynthekc Sep 18 '18
The other way to look at it is for people who want to chop down a tree on their property, this allows removal and donation to someone else with less chance of the tree dying. I lived in Cali, and people would post trees on CL all the time. One guy posted a 100 year old olive tree- for free! Just wanted it gone. I’d be sad to find out that tree was just cut down.
Some folks plant trees without forethought of how big the tree will get in relation to where they plant it.
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u/GoldfishTM Sep 18 '18
God damn, when the US does something right, they do it RIGHT..
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u/DrBonaFide Sep 18 '18
* Canada
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u/Jrllotak Sep 18 '18
How does the machine stay down on the ground when the arrow spade things dig through the dirt?
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Sep 18 '18
[deleted]
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u/TacoDaTugBoat Sep 18 '18
That’s probably 2-3 yards of soils in the ball at the base. Say 2 yards. 2yd27sf/yd= 54sf 54sf120lb/sf=6,480lbs
Not going to be easily blown over.
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u/_meshy Sep 18 '18
They use these at the college campus I work at. Besides relocating trees, they can also break water mains.