"I saw in Louisiana a live oak growing." ~Whitman

Wow! I had no idea moving an Oak that size was even possible. An inspiring story, thank you.

That's why Texas is great.

It's hard to believe a tree that size can survive without 99% of its root system but we'll see. In any case I guess it was worth a try.

Just a note on survival - "Old Glory", an even larger and older oak that was transplanted in the Pico Canyon area outside Los Angeles just passed the five-year mark considered by most arborists the benchmark for survival. It's doing well, as are some other transplants I've been told about. Apparently we've learned a thing or two about how to do this successfully.

That tree is just about 30ish miles up I-45 from me, and even closer to Shoreacres.

Moving it was magnificent. Nearly as grand, was the political free-for-all which was the fights, agruments and drama which led to the vote to conduct the move.

So much so, that the move itself was damn near anticlimactic, in and of itself.

The Chief Rigger on the move was one Scott Tuma. Before he went to work doing such heroics, he was a sailboat rigger, and did all the work on the late, lamented Sloop New Dawn

Small world, eh?

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Great article, however, there is no thing as an ex-MARINE just us former MARINES!

SEMPER FI

Jim,

You are indeed correct about the long months of arguments, but we do feel that the fight was worthwhile.

I-RIGHT-I

More than 96% of the root structure is within the first 36" of soil and there were no major roots cut beneath the tree, it was a few fibrous roots; I know, I was able to crawl around beneath the tree as the process was going on.

There were a good number of roots that were cut when the box was made, but there was already new root growth (6-10 inches worth) when they de-boxed the tree.

It is being checked by-weekly by the city arborist and the owner of the company that performed the move visits once a month to check the tree. It is being very well taken care of and has a more than 90% chance of survival.