[purpleblackqueen]

The fruit trees on the property I just bought are all in a line, in the front of the vegie garden., so you have to walk under or throught hem to get to the rest of the garden, which is going to be a pain, so I am thinking out all possibilities ready for when I set up a massive vegie garden.

Is it possible to move establised fruit trees without harming them, and preferably without costing a fortune?

[Cherish]

I wouldn't.

[purpleblackqueen]

I wouldn't.

Maybe just a prune then.

[ubermum]

If they are apple or stone fruit like plum, apricot etc. they can be moved, but in winter when they are dormant and have no leaves. You would also have to dig a pretty big hole to take a really big root ball to give them the best chance of survival. Depending on their age, they may or may not survive. You may be best to just ditch them and start over since you plan on being there permanently.

Prune when they have no leaf too. You can find plenty of books about fruit trees in municipal libraries.

[BeYOUtiful]

Ours have taken a couple of years to take off well, I imagine they wouldn't do well with moving?
Would it be easier to have the vegie garden elsewhere? I know our vegie garden is near large trees from our neighbours and this year it isn't doing really well. I think it is best to have the vegies away from tree roots.

[purpleblackqueen]

If they are apple or stone fruit like plum, apricot etc. they can be moved, but in winter when they are dormant and have no leaves. You would also have to dig a pretty big hole to take a really big root ball to give them the best chance of survival. Depending on their age, they may or may not survive. You may be best to just ditch them and start over since you plan on being there permanently.

Prune when they have no leaf too. You can find plenty of books about fruit trees in municipal libraries.

They are all citrus

Ours have taken a couple of years to take off well, I imagine they wouldn't do well with moving?
Would it be easier to have the vegie garden elsewhere? I know our vegie garden is near large trees from our neighbours and this year it isn't doing really well. I think it is best to have the vegies away from tree roots.

There isn't really anywhere else to put a vegie garden, this area was used by the last people as a vegie garden..

[ubermum]

Not sure about moving citrus, but be careful of their roots, they are quite shallow and easily damaged. Citrus also prefer not to compete with grass underneath them. Wherever water would drip off them after rain should be clear of grass. My mums fabulous lemon tree is surrounded by a mulched circle extending about a meter from the trumk.

[Jembo]

If they are large it will be very difficult to do, and having to walk underneath them to get thru I would imagine they are a decent size?

If they are say as tall as a person, the root ball will be very heavy, and you would need a bobcat to move them. The roots also go out wide on citrus cause they are more shallow. You would have to wait till winter to try , and prune them back as said.

Can you just prune them enough to create a path thru them, or do you have enough you can completely remove one complete tree - for instance if you have 2 lemon trees you will be able to manage with one (cause even one tree produces bucket loads of lemons) so you could pull out completely one and put a path thru?

Or lemons dont take long to get fruit, so you could replace that one, I wouldnt with oranges or madarins as they seem to take so much longer to get to fruiting age.

[Sinister Bonnet]

Not worth the effort to move them as the chance of success is very low.

I'd cut one down and make a path or take them all out and replant citrus elsewhere. I've never regretted doing dramatic removals in the garden but I have regretted compromising.