How to Dig Up Palm Trees
Digging up a palm tree can be a long and hard job if you are not prepared. Maybe you want to relocate, sell or just get rid of the tree from your yard, a professional can be called and paid to do this job. However, if you do it yourself, you can save money.
Things You’ll Need
- Shovel
- Piece of burlap
- Wheelbarrow or trailer
- Contact your utility company before you dig to be sure there are no lines or pipes that you may run into while digging. This could be very costly and messy if you break something underground. You may need to get a underground map of your property to be sure you know where things are located.
- Grab your shovel and start digging around the tree. You should end up with a ball of roots 30 inches around. If there are roots beyond that, they can be cut from the root ball with garden shears.
- Move a piece of burlap under the roots, if the tree is too large for two people to lift out of the ground. To get the burlap underneath, tilt the tree each direction as you pull the burlap under the tree roots.
- Get others to help you move the tree onto a wheelbarrow or into a trailer to be transported. Each person can grab the burlap with one hand and use the other hand to keep the tree from falling over while lifting it. Be sure to center the tree in the wheelbarrow or trailer and have it well supported before moving the palm tree.