Transplanting trees

There are a couple of trees that my DH and I would like to transplant, and I have some questions for y'all.
- I'd like to transplant a ponderosa pine to our pasture. How big a diameter can we go with and have it survive? Has anybody heard if ponderosas transplant well? We'll have to build a fence around it to keep the nibbling equines at bay....
- We have a young (2" diameter) Linden tree that we want to move. Is late summer an ok time to transplant it, or should we wait until fall - or spring?

I had a ten year old flowering fruit tree "professionally" moved a couple years ago in the early fall, and it didn't make it, despite excellent soil prep, religious watering, perfect weather, etc. Based on my experience -- $500 for a move that killed the tree! -- I sure don't recommend it. Anyone else?

I have friends who have had large trees moved that did survive, but it is expensive and certainly hurts the tree no matter how carefully done. But I don't think the ones I have seen live have been ponderosas, they were spruce.

I think age and type of tree is definitely a factor. I inquired about moving an old currant and was told that the roots were too brittle at its age to move. Hope this helps.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I'm thinking that the Linden tree is probably still young enough to survive a move if we dug up a big enough wad o' dirt with it.
For the ponderosa, we may try to dig up the biggest tree we can move ourselves, and if it doesn't make it then we'll try a smaller tree. We may get tired of digging after our first try, though - digging up the tree up be the hardest part of this adventure. I just hate the thought of buying a ponderosa at a nursery - that would be kind of like paying for a weed, as much as we have them sprouting up around here. Anyone want a ponderosa sapling?

If you don't ming taking your time, you could decide on the size rootball and cut down into the ground all around the tree at that size to sever the roots, but not dig up the tree. Let it be for a year and then dig it up and move it. It will have adapted to the smaller root area to some degree and can make the move more gracefully.

oh, hey, that's a good idea mm - i'd never heard of doing that before. makes perfect sense!

That's a great tip mulch.

Mulch is dead on(pardon the pun-not intended LOL). Read that in a gardening book some time ago. A lot less shock involved.

Vadap, I know I am exhausted, but definitely not dead yet! Ha!

LOL I was talking about trees. No dead trees allowed unless they are messing up the sewage line.

People do transplant ponderosa pines in my area but there generally is a high rate of loss. When I have wanted a ponderosa, I have purchased a guaranteed tree. Sometimes with the best possible care they die anyhow. If you buy a guaranteed one they replace it.
I have little ones coming up all over the place, too. One year I tried transplanting a 1 ft tall one. I lived about 3 months after transplant.
Ponderosas are best transplanted in the fall and I was cautioned to soak them at first then to water only once a month for the first year then not at all. Two out of the three professionally dug ones survived.
They say, though it may be an old wives tale, that with evergreens it is important to maintain their orientation. In other words, put the north side of the original on the north side of the second tree.
The linden will probably be easier to move, and I agree with mulch and vadap that cutting its roots first might work best.
I think most shrubs and trees do best with fall transplanting because there isn't so much strain on the plant when the weather is cooler. September is good because that gives the tree all winter to grow new roots -- when the tree doesn't have as many leaves to feed. On the linden, trim it back for the same reason.
Best of luck. I think transplanting wild ponderosas requires a lot of skill and luck.

Well isn't that cool: Evergreens need to maintain their orientation. Maybe that's why my goldie juniper hates me. I have it reversed.