[pmoran17]

My Dad and I have been growing trees in a very exposed part of Connemara for nearly 20 years now, and in our ignorance we planted 3 in particular too close together. There's an alder, an oak, and a hazel growing in a row - each one only about 1'-2' from trunk to trunk. They've been growing well over 10 years now but they're very stunted due to the exposed nature of the garden, only about 4'-5' tall.

I'm planning to dig up and transplant the oak (which is in the middle) this coming winter once they're all dormant. I can see this being very tricky because of the age of the tree and its proximity to the other two. I plan to dig around the base of the oak about the diameter of the crown. I'm hoping the root ball won't be too big, since the crown is so small and the soil so shallow and rocky. How tangled up in the other trees' roots it will be, I guess I'll just have to see when I start digging.

Can anyone advise me on this or tell me it's a terrible idea?!?

[kindredspirit]

I'd just go for it.

[James Kilkelly]

Worth noting the following, pmoran17

[Greengage]

That should not be a problem, with Oaks they may have a long tap root as its only planted three years it should be no problem, Keep it weed free and well fed and watered before move to help it build up resources. also if it does not have a leader get a strong cane to train one.

[tagwex]

10 years Greengage not 3.

[medieval knievel]

are you going for a natural look with your tree planting? if so, why not just leave it?

[Sue Deacon]

Going by the photo I'd say the oak is never going to make a standard tree. I'd leave it where it is. If the hazel or alder start smothering it, you could always coppice them.

[Gautama]

If they were more mine I'd coppice the oak and leave the other two as they are. Review the situation after another ten years.
MK suggests going for the natural look, i.e. leaving them as they are. However this'll result in at least one of them dying from competition. Its roots may them decay and get exposed to honey fungus, to the detriment of all.
If I was to move it a strict root pruning regime should be adhered to.

[Sue Deacon]

Hazel is easily coppiced and Alder readily grows back from a stump. I have yet to see a (small) Oak regrow successfully (if at all) from coppicing.

[kindredspirit]

I'd hoof out the Oak with a JCB in the autumn. Job done in 20 minutes.

[medieval knievel]

[Sue Deacon]

My house in England had a privet hedge around it - as did a majority of the neighbours gardens. A decaying tree stump three gardens away introduced honey fungus to the hedge. I believe that in the wild other fungi control the spread of HF but these fungi are not found in domestic gardens so there is nothing to control the spread.

In the space of 10 years it marched unstoppable through the gardens killing hedges as it went 2 -3 plants a year. Privet is part of the olive family along with lilac and they are very susceptible to HF as is the rose family. I lost a lilac a willow all my raspberries an apple tree and even my rhubarb! Natural yes, but not a look you want to aim for!

The old gardener Fred Loads was asked how to get rid of Honey Fungus. His reply was to move house. Now they have changed the formula of Armillatox his remark is more true than ever.

[Good guy]

Fred Loads - now there's a blast from the past! Nearly makes me want to tune in to the Archers or Mrs Dale's Diary!

[Sue Deacon]

Picked up a copy of 'Fred Loads gardening tips of a lifetime' from a charity shop. It really lives up to the title. SO much information.

[Good guy]

Was it him that used to say 'Oi believe the answer lois in the soil'?