17/05/2026
Tree Transplanting “Too Old to Move?”
I recently had someone contact me looking for a bit of advice regarding a council street tree that was directly in line with a proposed driveway crossover for a new home build.
The tree itself was less than 2.5 metres tall and appeared to be healthy and worth retaining. As there was adequate room either side of the proposed crossover, the owners asked whether the tree could simply be transplanted rather than removed.
They claimed they were told the tree was “more than 10 years old” and therefore could not be transplanted.
To be honest, I found that statement surprising.
Trees much larger, and significantly older, have been successfully transplanted in Australia and around the world. A notable local example was during the CityLink Burnley Tunnel Project in Melbourne where mature elms and London plane trees were successfully relocated. Another well-known example involved mature Mountain Ash trees being transplanted at the Melbourne Museum by specialist contractors.
In my opinion, age alone is not the determining factor.
Successful tree transplanting comes down to planning, preparation, species suitability, timing, aftercare, and of course budget.
One of the key techniques in preparing a tree for transplanting is root pruning. This is often done progressively over time by dividing the root zone into sections and pruning opposing segments before backfilling. The aim is to encourage the tree to develop a more compact fibrous root system closer to the trunk, increasing the chances of successful relocation later.
When the final move occurs, the root ball needs to remain intact and secure, with care taken not to damage the trunk, branches, or bark during lifting and transport.
Timing is also critical.
You generally wouldn’t attempt to transplant a tree in the middle of a 40-degree summer day. Cooler periods such as autumn or winter are usually preferred, while soil moisture is higher and temperatures are more favourable for root growth and recovery.
As a very rough guide, establishment time after transplanting can take around one year for every 25 mm of trunk diameter. So a tree with a 100 mm trunk diameter may take up to four years to fully re-establish.
Some species handle transplanting far better than others, while some can be particularly sensitive. Olive trees, for example, are well known for transplant success, while other species can be far less forgiving.
At the end of the day, many trees can be transplanted successfully if the project has:
• Enough planning time
• Proper preparation
• Suitable machinery and lifting equipment
• Appropriate aftercare
• And a budget that reflects the complexity of the work
Sometimes removal is unavoidable but simply saying a tree “can’t be transplanted because it’s over 10 years old” doesn’t really reflect modern arboricultural practice.
