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A tree spade is a specialized machine that mechanizes the transplanting of large 
A typical machine consists of a number of blades (generally 3 or 4, but single or dual blade designs also exist) that encircle the tree, digging into the ground and then lifting the entire tree, including its roots and soil (in what is termed a "root ball"), out of the ground and replanting or transplanting the whole tree in the designated area. Similar machines can also be used for placing trees in pots or baskets for commercial tree nursery operations. Tree spades are available in a wide variety of sizes and designs that are made to suit varied soil conditions and customer requirements. Typical design variations can include straight vs curved blades, root ball diameter, root ball depth, and root ball cone angle.
The machines can be mounted on a tractor or loader for moving trees a short distance, or on the back of a truck for relocating trees over the highway a long distance away. For tree nursery operations, tree spades are also sometimes mounted on excavators, though this is less common due to the weight capacity requirements of manipulating the machine along with an excavated tree. For transport on public roads, the spade tilts the tree to a near-horizontal position in order to clear overhead bridges and cables.
The first tree spade at Opitz was built in 1971. Special machinery in tree nursery did exist before including the treedigger variants which are still more common to transplant smaller trees.
100in Curved Blade Tree Spade
on YouTube Agricultural machinery Forestry equipment {{Tool-stub
A tree spade is a specialized machine that mechanizes the transplanting of large plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...
s whose hand-powered transplanting (using traditional spade
A spade is a tool primarily for digging consisting of a long handle and blade, typically with the blade narrower and flatter than the common shovel. Early spades were made of riven wood or of animal bones (often shoulder blades). After the a ...
s, wagons, and other equipment) would be prohibitively laborious. These include large bushes and small or medium tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
s. By bringing mechanized power to what was formerly only a manual process, tree spades do for transplanting what tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commo ...
s and combine harvesters do for agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
, and what excavators and other heavy equipment do for construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Pr ...
. Today, tree spades are widely used in the tree nursery industry to increase production rates, and in the landscaping industry for tree removal and transplanting.
A typical machine consists of a number of blades (generally 3 or 4, but single or dual blade designs also exist) that encircle the tree, digging into the ground and then lifting the entire tree, including its roots and soil (in what is termed a "root ball"), out of the ground and replanting or transplanting the whole tree in the designated area. Similar machines can also be used for placing trees in pots or baskets for commercial tree nursery operations. Tree spades are available in a wide variety of sizes and designs that are made to suit varied soil conditions and customer requirements. Typical design variations can include straight vs curved blades, root ball diameter, root ball depth, and root ball cone angle.
The machines can be mounted on a tractor or loader for moving trees a short distance, or on the back of a truck for relocating trees over the highway a long distance away. For tree nursery operations, tree spades are also sometimes mounted on excavators, though this is less common due to the weight capacity requirements of manipulating the machine along with an excavated tree. For transport on public roads, the spade tilts the tree to a near-horizontal position in order to clear overhead bridges and cables.
The first tree spade at Opitz was built in 1971. Special machinery in tree nursery did exist before including the treedigger variants which are still more common to transplant smaller trees.
See also
* TransplantingReferences
External links
* " Digging trees and shrubs for transplanting" on Wikibooks100in Curved Blade Tree Spade
on YouTube Agricultural machinery Forestry equipment {{Tool-stub