I have a friend who is re-landscaping his yard. He inherited a citrus (mandarin of some kind) which he is hell bent on getting rid of. I said I’d be glad to take it. 
It is about 4 feet tall has a 1-1.5 inch trunk. I plan to dig my target hole in advance and dig out the root ball of the tree around 2 ft in diameter. I also think I need to prune it hard to account for the loss of roots and keep it well hydrated this year. Anything else I’m missing?
Here’s a guide I wrote awhile back: plantsthatproduce.com - This website is for sale! - plantsthatproduce Resources and Information.
Thanks Richard. I’ve read your guide before. It’ll be interesting to see how I dig that tree out. I have dug plenty of holes and trees but none that big. I’m gonna ask my friend to soak that tree the day before.
Good idea to pre-soak it.
I’d start by digging a trench around the tree at a 3 ft radius from the base, trying to get down about 18" to 24" inches and cutting any roots that get in my way. Then I’d start angling down and inwards attempting to reduce the root ball eventually to a 32" diameter. At that point it could be hoisted into a wheelbarrow. Have your receiving hole ready. Try to arrange it so that the graft union remains 2" above the final soil level after replanting.
Looking at the picture, the tree needs to be pruned up (extraneous branches from lower levels) but otherwise I think it’ll be ok.
Target hole is dug. The soil is surprising damp. I dug it in couple of minutes! Just had to cut through some dead roots. I’ve amended this 3 ft diameter hole with 3 buckets full of homemade compost. I plan to add some Azomite too.
P.S. Pro tip from my gardener. Buy a cheap shovel and sharpen it using an angle grinder. This cheapo shovel of mine slices through tough clay and roots like a samurai sword! And it has been doing this for 3 years now.
I recommend you don’t add Azomite. It’s garbage dirt that is high in Aluminum but has been doped with Seaweed extract and then sold at a high price. It’s much cheaper (and less toxic) to add 2-4 Tbsp of seaweed extract directly.
Where did you find that Azomite has been doped with seaweed? I find that highly unlikely.
Lab analysis.
Richard - not trying to be difficult but could you provide some linkage?
In the fertilizer business we commonly send products to labs for analysis. To test for the presence of hormones you’ll need to locate a bio-assay lab.
Azomite’s claim of A-Z minerals in a fertilizer product is deceitful. The only minerals in that product with efficacy as plant nutrient are the half dozen listed in the guaranteed analysis on the product label. The remaining 100 or so they boast about are either (a) not in a salt or chelate form that can be processed by soil biology or plants directly, or (b) not minerals that plants ingest. It’s true that that minerals listed on their website will show up in a spectrograph analysis but that’s not relevent. Read their disclaimer.
This advertising practice is common in the retail fertilizer industry. Sellers of seaweed extract do this - even the brand I distribute. For that product, the real actor is essential oils containing giberellic acids. Looking at the guaranteed analysis you’ll find scant amount of NPK and none of 100’s of minerals in the advertising claim.
Great info, Richard. What is “toxic” about Azomite though?
In my opinion the Aluminum salts and non-soluble heavy metals are at unacceptable levels.
Richard - So you’ve performed tests that show Azomite has been doped with seaweed? I’m asking you to provide proof for your claim, since the manufacturer claims Azomite is mined mineral.
BTW - I use Azomite for plants in containers, but I don’t use it for anything in-ground currently. I feel the heavy metal content of the Azomite is acceptable.
Oh, and for future reference - don’t amend soil with compost when planting trees. It’s better to top-dress the compost. When you change the soil texture you risk a) creating a bathtub effect if the surrounding soil doesn’t drain well, or b) roots that don’t want to leave the amended area. Plus the compost will “disappear” over the next year - can lead to low spots or a sinking tree
[quote=“smatthew, post:13, topic:1631, full:true”]Oh, and for future reference - don’t amend soil with compost when planting trees. It’s better to top-dress the compost. When you change the soil texture you risk a) creating a bathtub effect if the surrounding soil doesn’t drain well, or b) roots that don’t want to leave the amended area. Plus the compost will “disappear” over the next year - can lead to low spots or a sinking tree
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I’d agree with you for any other soils. My soil is rock hard clay. When damp, it is a clumpy mess and when you then water it in it turns into concrete sludge. I always plant on a mound which always settles down slightly above grade.
Good to hear you’ve already thought through the issues.
Is your soil the type that responds well to gypsum? I finally realized that the soil at my house isn’t just clay - it’s sodic clay and adding massive amounts of gypsum has turned it into something you can stick your hand into.
That’s your assumption.
The Aluminum salts can be phytotoxic, esp. in non-alkaline soils.
Bleedingdirt, the current line of thinking is not to amend your hole. Instead, plant in your native soil and top dress. We chatted about this in another thread on our forum, and one of our list members has photos as to why it’s just not a good idea. You create this “basin” effect.
I think this is poor as general advice. It depends on the soil in question.
I think the bathtub effect happens when you dig a hole the exact same size as the container and then backfill with compost. Even worse is to dig deeper and fill up with compost.
My approach is different. The compost is mixed well with the native soil and the tree is planted higher than grade. I also top dress with compost and wood chips away from the root ball area. Worms move in and carry the organic matter down attracting roots there.
Richard, you would be wrong in your assumption. It is not poor as general advice, and is the current methodology and thinking, now. Trees will learn to live in their native soils:
https://www.arborday.org/trees/planting/bare-root.cfm
http://www.sustainable-gardening.com/plants/shrubs-and-trees/time-to-bust-this-myth-do-not-amend-soil-when-planting-trees
http://www.ugaurbanag.com/content/better-way-plant-shrubs-and-trees
Bleeding dirt, it can still happen, but hopefully with enough native soil, your tree roots will try to venture out. Truly, you just do not need to do that. You should, instead, be top dressing and allowing the nutrients to percolate down (like Mother Nature does). I don’t think worms really carry organic materials with them, more than ingest them, then poop them out as castings? Maybe we’re saying the same thing 
Now, if you have really heavy clay soil, certainly it is wise to plant your tree (or any plant) on a mound. But as far as amending the hole, it is now considered to not help the tree, and possibly cause root circling. We have a nice thread in this forum about one of our list members who dug their tree up they had planted in a partially amended hole. Sean posted it, and you might want to read through this thread:
Patty S.
