The ability to move large, established trees is a significant achievement in modern landscaping and construction. Before specialized machinery was developed, relocating a mature tree was a prohibitively laborious task with a low success rate. The tree spade is the specialized piece of heavy equipment designed to mechanize this process. This technology makes it possible to preserve and transplant large woody plants, allowing developers and homeowners to instantly transform a landscape with mature specimens.
Defining the Tree Spade
A tree spade is a powerful piece of equipment that is mounted onto various platforms, such as the back of a truck, a trailer, or a skid-steer loader. Its primary function is to efficiently dig up, contain, and transport a tree’s root system, soil, and all, in what is termed a “root ball.” The core components of the machine are its sharp, heavy-duty steel blades and a robust hydraulic mechanism.
The blades, typically three or four in number, are precisely controlled by the hydraulic system to create a perfect, contained cone or cylindrical shape around the tree’s roots. Different blade shapes, such as conical, straight, or curved, are used depending on the tree species and soil type. This design ensures that the majority of the tree’s fine feeder roots remain intact within the soil mass, which is paramount for the tree’s survival after transplantation.
How the Tree Spade Operates
The successful operation of a tree spade begins with positioning the machine to align the blades symmetrically around the tree’s trunk. Once positioned, the hydraulic system forces the sharp steel blades into the ground, cutting through the soil and severing the lateral roots that extend beyond the planned root ball circumference. The spades penetrate the earth until they meet at a single point deep beneath the tree, forming a complete enclosure around the root ball.
After the blades have fully penetrated, the hydraulic system is then used to lift the entire tree, along with its massive soil-encased root ball, out of the ground. The tree and its root ball are then secured for transport to the new location, often being tilted to a near-horizontal position on truck-mounted units to clear overhead obstacles. The same process is reversed at the destination, with the spade inserting the intact root ball precisely into a pre-dug hole of the same dimensions.
Primary Applications and Limitations
Tree spades are widely used in urban planning, commercial development, and large-scale landscaping projects where preserving or relocating mature trees is necessary. They offer a sustainable alternative to removal, allowing for the instant establishment of a mature landscape, which provides immediate shade and aesthetic value. In construction, a tree spade is often used to save established trees that lie in the path of new infrastructure or building expansions.
A significant factor in transplant success is the size of the root ball relative to the tree’s trunk diameter and canopy. The machine’s capacity dictates the maximum trunk diameter it can handle, with larger truck-mounted models capable of moving trees over 40 feet tall. Limitations exist, as extremely rocky or hard-packed soil can hinder blade penetration and complicate the digging process.
Timing for Success
A tree’s survival rate is highest when the transplant occurs during its dormant period, typically in late fall or early spring. This timing helps minimize the physiological shock of root loss.
Accessing Tree Spade Services
For most homeowners and small-scale projects, tree spades are highly specialized and expensive pieces of heavy machinery, making ownership impractical. The most common way the public accesses this technology is by hiring a professional landscaping company or a certified arborist who owns and operates the equipment. These professionals possess the necessary training to assess a tree’s health, determine the appropriate root ball size, and safely conduct the complex relocation procedure.
For smaller trees or for experienced users, some towable or skid-steer-mounted tree spade attachments can be rented. Operating this equipment requires technical knowledge of hydraulics and heavy machinery safety protocols. The cost of professional transplanting is often a more cost-effective choice than purchasing a comparable mature tree from a nursery and manually planting it.