Reed said his crews hand-dig root balls up to about 3 feet across, beyond which they have to resort to a tree spade. How do you measure a tree?

Some tree companies have tree spades, which are basically engine-powered, overgrown shovels that dig down around tree roots, scoop them out of the ground and move them into new holes.

Large tree removal is an arduous process. Moving a tree is backbreaking work and can take hours, and cutting down a tree and removing the stump is also difficult work. But the mighty Truck Spade ...

Reed said his crews hand-dig rootballs as big as about 3 feet across, beyond which they have to resort to a tree spade. How do you measure a tree?

Using a spade, dig a trench around the tree to a depth of 1½ to 2 feet. Then cut beneath the roots, rounding the bottom of the soil ball. Tip the soil ball to one side, place a piece of burlap or a ...

Dig the hole no deeper than the root-ball you are putting into it. Rough up the sides and bottom of the hole with a spade before you plant, and return the native soil without adding any amendments ...