Moving a cherry tree

[rotorvator]

I have a dwarf Cherry Tree that i planted around 6 years ago that i have been getting a great harvest from but i am probably going to be moving house in the next 12 months and i would really like to take it with me.

Having read a few things i understand that any major disruption should be done now so its recovered before winter but im wondering if I can successfully do it without killing the tree.

I have got a old 1/2 barrel type planter that i am thinking of potting it in.

Has anyone got any advice on how best to do this or should i give up before i even begin

[rustylady]

I would have thought that the best time to move it would be when it is dormant, but I'm not a fruit tree expert. Hopefully FB will be along soon to help with your question.

[orangepippin]

I agree with rustylady, wait until it is dormant before trying to move it. When you do, you will inevitably lose some of the roots, so you will probably need to prune back the canopy in early spring to restore the balance.

[FB.]

As said above: don't move a tree while it has leaves on because there's a high risk that the tree will be set back years, if not killed outright. Why? because the leaves need a lot of water in summer and any root disturbance will deprive the leaves of water. Roots have many near-invisible cotton-like threads which are absorbing water and these will all be broken by digging-out, even if you get the main (visible) structural roots out intact.
Winter time, usually November to February, is the safest time to move trees, with earlier transplanting tending to have the best outcome because roots often continue to grow during the winter (but don't have leaves crying-out for water), so earlier transplantings tend to give the roots longer to get established while later transplantings tend to damage all the winter root growth which will power the tree out of dormancy the next spring.

[rotorvator]

Thanks for the replys, much appreciated