Moving a Large Tree In Vancouver
When transporting trees there are a lot of important factors that come into play. Firstly, trees are delicate items to transport because they are alive and the conditions of transport impact the life of the trees. You need an experienced driver used to working with trees in order to protect them from losing branches and leaves, drying out, losing roots or part of the root ball and protect it from wind burn while moving at highway speeds. Not all trees need to be tarped but we make a point of tarping most trees just to be safe and protect it from any sudden wind changes.
Because trees are an awkward item to pick up and get on our crane trucks or flat decks to transport, we use a special sling in order to keep the root ball in tact and provide a gentle lift. This sling, if placed correctly, is effective at transporting the tree onto our truck with as little disturbance as possible to the tree, but if the sling is slightly out of place, the sling can strip the bark off of the tree causing it to die.
When is the best time to transport trees?
Fall to early spring is the best time to move trees because the trees are dormant and cooler temperatures allow for the tree to retain more moisture which prevents drying out. Moving the trees on hot days poses a heightened risk of drying out the tree. The best time of day to move trees is earlier in the morning as temperatures are cooler and there is more moisture in the air. Even on hot or cool days, it is important that the tree gets water right away at the drop off location. This helps the tree get a good start in its new location and gives best chances for survival.
Root Ball Structure
The structure of the root ball is dependent on the soil quality. Sandy loamy soil is not ideal to transport because it is dry and does not provide the best moisture to the tree. With this type of soil it is even more important that the tree gets water immediately when dropped at the nursery to ensure the highest chances of surviving when planted. Loamy soil that is dry and sandy also is more challenging to control when driving 100km on a highway. Pieces of the root ball break off and drop nugget sized balls of soil which can cause a hazard on the highway.
Ensuring a good root ball before transporting goes a long way in transporting the tree safely and efficiently.
How to tell a tree is suffering from wind burn
When transporting trees, the goal is always to minimize wind burn. Wind burn on trees effects the trees ability to thrive in its new location. Wind burn removes moisture from the tree and the tree needs to work harder to survive and grow. This is why we employ the use of tarps on most of our loads that include trees. Tarping helps protect the trees against the harsh highway winds and even lower speeds.
The most obvious sign of windburn is you will notice the leaves curling up and some may have fallen off completely. Another more subtle sign, is the trees will have a dry smell similar to how a you can smell a forest on a really hot day in the middle of summer and how it smells different then if it just rained.
Speed Matters
We deliver lots of trees, and we are committed to our customers and their products on ensuring that we transport any product is the absolute best condition we can. The difference of even just 10km/h makes a huge difference on the condition of the trees.
If handled correctly, you will notice the trees are healthier, have more leaves still attached, less windburn and the root ball is less disrupted when arriving at the delivery site.
Do you have items that need a little more extra care and attention or are awkward and difficult to move? Call Can Ridge today and get the experience you need!
