Q. Is it too late to replant trees? I have 3 year old apple, peach,& cherry trees that I want to replant in other areas in my yard? How can I do this safely or when is the best time to do this? Karin Davidson – Lakewood, WA
A. It is not too late to transplant but the odds of mortality go up once the trees have broken dormancy. If you can wait until they are dormant (drop their leaves) in the fall you would increase your chance of success. If you transplant now you will need to be diligent and keep them moist but now wet throughout the summer. If you have no choice but to transplant them now then try and get as big of a root ball as possible digging out at least six inches beyond the drip line and as deep as possible. Have a tarp ready next to the tree so that the rootball can be shifted over onto it with as little disturbance as possible. Have a planting hole dug and prepared before you lift the tree out. Friends are useful in these projects as extra hands come in handy (no pun intended). As one friend holds the excavated tree trunk the other friend or friends can grab an end of the tarp and drag the tree to the new location. Have them slide the tree into the new planting making sure the soil level remains the same. Backfill the hole, tamp out air pockets and water the tree. It sounds like you just got your friends to do the work for you. Treat them to their favorite beverage and maybe they will mow the lawn too.