Q. Worked with you (I’m still in the pit orchestra) at the Music Playhouse many years ago. I’m an avid reader of your articles and have attended a couple of your presentations at the fair grounds. I have a dwarf (semi?) 4-way apple tree that I planted in 1990 or so. It’s annual fruit production is awesome and I always have to shore up its spindly, finger-sized branches to hold the fruit. It is being overcome by a cedar tree and must be moved to survive. I have a great spot picked our for it, but want to know if now is a good time to move it. Also, the tree is about 6-7 feet tall. Can you estimate the extent of its root growth? I don’t want to damage any more than I have to. Don Miller – University Place, WA
A. This is not the ideal time to move the tree. The best time to move it is when it is dormant. The extent of the root growth is approximately a foot beyond the drip line of the tree (dripline is where water would trip off if the canopy of the tree were an umbrella). If you hope to move it yourself you may wish to root prune the tree around the drip line. This means you take a spade now and make a circle around the tree cutting in as far as the spade will go without drawing up soil. This will sever any roots further out and consolidate the new root for the eventual move. Then in the late fall after it is dormant (dropped all its leaves) you can move the tree. You may even consider contacting a tree service with a tree spade. Make sure they have a certified arborist on staff to oversee the process.