Sometimes there is no alternative to digging up the tree - be it because it has become too big, the garden needs to be redesigned or it is threatened by a fungal disease. The best way to dig up the tree depends on whether you want to cut it down or move it. Transplanting, especially an older tree, is more complicated and requires more preparation.
If the tree is to be transplanted, great care must be taken
Dig up and move tree
If a tree is to be dug up and moved, you should already dig a spade-deep ditch around the tree grate in the autumn of the previous year. The diameter should roughly correspond to that of the tree crown. Fill the narrow ditch with compost and let the tree rest until the following fall. Only then do you dig the trench again and loosen the root system so that the tree can be lifted out. Depending on your age and size, you can accomplish this task with a spade, digging fork and another person, or with heavy equipment.
Which is why digging the trench last year makes sense
Cutting the roots by digging the trench makes sense, especially for tree species whose roots grow very wide and rather shallow under the ground. In the following year, the tree forms a compact root ball close to the trunk, developing numerous new fine roots. This compact root ball in turn makes it easier for it to grow in the new location later - which can be difficult with cut roots and without new fine roots. Nevertheless, every transplant also includes a strong pruning, since the reduced root mass can no longer supply the entire crown.
Remove tree stump
You can take less cumbersome action if the tree is to be felled anyway. In this case, cut off the crown and trunk piece by piece, depending on size and height, and leave a trunk of about one meter - this is good for getting out the rootstock. However, you don't always have to get the tree stump and roots out of the ground - especially with very large trees, it can make sense to simply leave both in the ground. You can use the stump as a decorative element or support the rotting process by measures such as scratching it with a chainsaw.
tips
But be careful: some tree species also sprout again from cut stumps or the root system. Root offshoots are then sometimes found within a radius of several meters around the former trunk.