Posts

Anita Chillmaid
Tree Spade: Big John /by

Large Tree Spade

Big John

4×4 Truck-Mounted

Machine details: Big John 1.6m (65″) 4 x 4 truck mounted Tree Spade. Practicality Brown imported the first Big John ’65’ into Europe from the USA where these machines are common-place on most large development sites.



What it does

  • Moves most species of deciduous and coniferous tree up to 160mm diameter stem (6 ½”) / 50cm stem girth
  • The powerful hydraulic digging action produces rootball sizes from 1m to 1.6m in diameter
  • When lifting a 1.6m rootball the blade tips reach down c. 1.4m
  • Now mounted on Mercedes 4×4 chassis with front and rear axle diff locks and centre diff lock for maximum manoeuvrability and far superior traction, with minimum ground disturbance
  • Fitted with the latest high specification extra wide flotation tyres which minimise ground compaction



Technical data

  • Machine width: ~2.5 metres
  • Machine height: 3.9 metres
  • Machine weight: 10,000kg
  • Trunk diameter: 100 – 160mm
  • Size of rootball: Up to 1.6metres
  • Weight of rootball: Up to 2,500kg
  • Depth of rootball: Up to 1.4metres
  • Trunk circumference: Up to 50cm
  • Water tank capacity: Up to 250gals
  • Tyres: Flotation

Anita Chillmaid
Tree Moving Service /by

Tree Moving Service

Practicality Brown can transplant large trees, as we have the appropriate expertise and specialised tree moving equipment.  We undertake tree moving on a regular basis for a number of private and commercial organisations throughout the UK.

Tree Spade Optimal 1100

Optimal Tree Spade moving individual trees

We have Tree Spade machines which are capable of transplanting trees up to 60cm in girth with our own in house machines and up to 100cm in girth for larger projects with a 3m diameter tree spade.  Our Gallery has more photos showing our tree spade machines in action.

Tree Transplanting Service

Practicality Brown can offer two different tree spades according to tree size, which are available on a price per tree or day work rates. Please contact us for a quote.

We have two Tree Spades available:


Big John


Optimal 1100

Moving trees

Practicality Brown have over 30 years’ experience in tree transplanting and have several Tree Spade machines, including an Optimal 1100 mounted on a Kramer 520 Compact Loader and a Big John 1.6m 4×4 Truck-Mounted Tree spade.

Machines can be supplied with ‘flotation tyres’ for work on sensitive ground, are operated by experienced, trained operators and backed up by a skilled planting team, if needed, for securing the trees or assisting with planting.

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors to extend their own range of capabilities.

Why use a Tree spade to transplant a tree?

A purpose designed tree spade efficiently holds together the rootball during the transplanting process, which is vital to successful tree relocation.

Why Transplant Trees?

Key reasons our clients like us to move their trees;

  1. Changing garden/landscape or building designs
  2. Replacing with more appropriate or native species
  3. Relocating for planning requirements
  4. Thinning out overcrowded woodland and copses
  5. Moving a number of existing trees is often less expensive that buying a new ones

Moving Trees

Tree Transplanting History

There is a great history of landscape designing in Britain. In the 18th century, landscape architects such as Charles Bridgeman, William Kent and Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown created English landscape gardens by clearing land, including trees, to create grand vistas. Some of these trees were felled, but others were planted or transplanted using just manual labour, horse and man-power.

More recently, pioneers in tree moving have had a programme of relocating trees from country estates and woodlands into developing urban areas and as tree spades evolved – Practicality Brown first acquired one in early 1980s – tree survival rates began to rise. The urban landscapes started to change forever with instant first-generation planting.

Development

With the introduction of the lorry-mounted tree spade, tree lifting, moving and planting projects have increased and this instant impact, either for aesthetic looks or for screening, has become a focus of garden designers and landscape architects alike. Many established schools, universities, golf courses, business parks and country estates increasingly see tree moving as a cost effective way to utilise overcrowded woodland areas to enhance new developments on their sites. On new builds and development sites, it is often a condition of the planning permission that existing trees must be “saved” and replanted in appropriate locations once building work is complete.

More recently homeowners have been tempted by developers to partition off and sell large sections of their property – often woodland – so new houses can be built. This involves a lot of tree moving and re-location to create new landscapes and boundaries.

Practicality Brown can help with all aspects of tree moving and planting; simply contact us with your enquiry.

Marketing
We Can Move Trees /in , /by

Relocating Mature Trees

We can move trees! We have the expertise and specialised equipment to transplant large trees.  We undertake tree moving on a regular basis for private and commercial organisations throughout the UK.

Tree Transplanting Service

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors, as it enable them to extend their own range of capabilities.

Moving Trees

Practicality Brown have over 30 years’ experience in tree transplanting and have purpose-built Tree Spade machines, including an Optimal 1100 mounted on a Kramer 520 Compact Loader and a Big John 1.6m 4×4 Truck-Mounted Tree spade.

Machines can be supplied with ‘flotation tyres’ for work on sensitive ground, are operated by experienced, trained operators and backed up by a skilled planting team, if needed, for securing the trees or assisting with planting.

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors to extend their own range of capabilities.

Why Use A Specialist To Move Trees?

As a specialist tree moving company, we have the right experience, expertise and machinery. Our purpose-built tree spade machines are designed to efficiently hold the tree rootball together during the transplanting process, which is vital for successful tree relocation.

Why is Tree Transplanting in demand?

We have seen an increased demand for moving trees recently. There may be a number of reasons why trees may need to be moved, including:

  • The increased restrictions on importing particular tree species from Europe, due to stricter pest and disease controls
  • Economic impact of Brexit and Covid-induced lockdown, with increased tree purchase, higher transport and labour costs
  • Limited availability from UK nurseries, due to increased demand for home grown trees
  • Increased desire to plant more trees to capture carbon and to repurpose tree plantations that need thinning out
  • Increased demand for carbon reduction, meaning that it is more ethical to move trees a few hundred metres rather than hundreds of miles

Tree Transplanting Service

Practicality Brown can offer two different tree spades according to tree size, which are available on a price per tree or day work rates. Please contact us for a quote.

 

Hedges successfully transplanted
Marketing
Woodland Translocation /in , /by

Woodland, Hedgerow and Tree Translocation

Practicality Brown has extensive experience of large scale woodland and hedgerow translocation and tree transplanting.

Woodland translocation: Hedges reduced for transplanting

Hedges reduced for transplanting

Woodland translocation: Low ground pressure machinery to transport woodland components

Low ground pressure machinery working in woodland

Woodland translocation: Optimal Tree Spade moving individual trees

Optimal Tree Spade moving individual trees

Woodland Translocation

Woodland translocation is carried out according to age and likelihood of re-establishment. The most common method involves coppicing of larger trees followed by stump translocation then woodland soil incorporating all mycorrhizal and seed/bulb bank. Care is taken to minimize ground impact, relocate soil horizons and habitat features. Occasionally smaller flora is individually containerized and transplanted according to best horticultural practice.

Hedgerow Translocation

Hedgerow Translocation is carried out according to age and species of hedge and the method best suited to acceptable level of re-establishment on the receptor site. Typically the hedgerow is coppiced, followed by transplanting using either a tree spade machine or by adapted excavator attachments. Successful translocation depends on good aftercare.

 Tree Transplanting

Individual tree moving involves complete tree and root ball translocation using a purpose built vehicle-mounted tree spade. Trees are moved individually from receptor to donor locations one at a time from receptor to donor locations.

Practicality Brown Experience

Practicality Brown is experienced in both woodland assessments, surveying for translocation and carrying out the works.  Any translocation work requires planning, management, operational expertise and aftercare; we have the experience and capabilities, having transplanted over 500,000 root ball stock over three decades.

Woodland Translocation Experience includes Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1), where extensive areas of coppice woodland were transplanted and road building projects such as A46 Widmerpool to Newark completed in 2012 where over 3km of hedge and 3ha was successfully translocated.

“Translocation uses skills from across the company; our tree nursery staff have the horticultural knowledge, whilst our tree clearance division provides the management and innovation required to make it happen”

Alastair Beddall, Managing Director, Practicality Brown

 

For more details, please contact Alastair Beddall or Phil Miller on 01753 652022

Lifting underway
Marketing
Craning trees into rear garden /in , , , /by

Craning trees into rear garden

Our clients were undertaking a refurbishment programme at their home in Kensington, London and wished to add trees to their rear garden, which had no vehicular access. We had been acclimatising their carefully selected trees at our Tree & Hedge Nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire for the previous twelve months, waiting for the house renovations to be completed.

We called in an expert crane hire company, who used their 100 tonne mobile crane to lift the six large rootball trees into the rear garden using our own Newman Frame, which is a bespoke attachment for lifting trees with care, over the rooftops.  The trees were carefully positioning directly into the pre-prepared planting pit, in the rear garden.

The trees were:

The works, which were undertaken by in-house experts, included two days of onsite preparation, a full road closure, planting and project management.

This is an example of the complicated projects that we can undertake; from sourcing specific species, delivery using our own vehicles and planting using our own experienced installation team; that is the Practicality Brown difference.

 

Marketing
Root-balled Trees and Transplanting /in , , , , /by

Bare root trees

Autumn heralds wonderful colours and falling leaves but for growers the cooler soils signify the ideal time to start transplanting trees and shrubs. Specimen trees, typically too large for containers, are systematically transplanted by skilled growers and root-balled with a compact root system, which enables trees to be re-located without stress or shock. This process continues into the winter when the trees are fully dormant making it perfect to transplant them.

Practicality Brown’s preferred growers throughout UK and Europe are now preparing and shipping  those trees selected and reserved during the summer, either to our nursery in Iver or direct to site to satisfy clients requirements.

These trees have their root system carefully enclosed and held in place with wire-wrapped hessian, which ensures the soil remains in contact with the roots throughout lifting, transportation and planting operations. Our root-ball trees have been prepared by being ‘undercut’ i.e. root pruned or transplanted several times (every 3 years for Deciduous and 4 years for Evergreen) to encourage the development of a fibrous root system.

The root ball season is now open; please call us to discuss your requirements. We can advise on preparation, planting and aftercare too.

Marketing
Moving trees for Microsoft /in , , , /by

Practicality Brown moved and transplanted three semi-mature Pyrus Chanticleer (Callery Pear) trees at the Microsoft Campus in Reading, West Berkshire.

The trees formed part of the soft landscaping at the prestigious Reading campus, but had grown too large at their location, restricting potential building and extension plans.  Instead of simply cutting down and removing the trees altogether, PBL advised Microsoft that the trees could be transplanted to a new location within the grounds, using a specialised tree spade machine.  This enables the trees to be saved continued to be enjoyed by campus users and a greener environment for everyone.

Each tree was moved individually, in one action, using the tree spades to carefully lift the tree and roots out of its location and move it to a prepared hole of the same size and shape.  Great care and planning were employed with the machine working so close to the building and to safe guard the ground in the new planting area.

Practicality Brown
Project to transplant important trees /in , /by

Practicality Brown Ltd transplanted 29 Commemorative trees at a care home in Ascot to make way for a new building.  All the trees were in the 20-50cm girth size and were carefully pruned ready for transplanting into a woodland walk on the same site, which we undertook with our tree spade machine, enriching the environment for the residents.

Practicality Brown
Large Trees for maximum impact /in , , , /by

With a reputation for planting big trees, we were asked to plant three very large, semi mature tulip trees (Liriodendron), at a private garden on the Oxfordshire/ Berkshire borders. Over 13 metres tall and girth circumferences of 100cm+, these trees required careful transportation, lifting and handling during installation. See the hedge & tree projects page for more images.

Practicality Brown
Screening Trees Craned into London back garden /in , , /by

Screening Trees

A client living in Thurloe Square, London (near the Victoria and Albert Museum) wanted trees as a screen in their rear garden, which had no vehicular access.

Our solution was to use a crane to lift the Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) trees into position.  With the limited access, this project required road closures; then each of the trees were when lifted over the rooftops and positioned directly into the prepared planting pit in the rear garden.

Pages

Anita Chillmaid
Tree Spade: Big John /by

Large Tree Spade

Big John

4×4 Truck-Mounted

Machine details: Big John 1.6m (65″) 4 x 4 truck mounted Tree Spade. Practicality Brown imported the first Big John ’65’ into Europe from the USA where these machines are common-place on most large development sites.



What it does

  • Moves most species of deciduous and coniferous tree up to 160mm diameter stem (6 ½”) / 50cm stem girth
  • The powerful hydraulic digging action produces rootball sizes from 1m to 1.6m in diameter
  • When lifting a 1.6m rootball the blade tips reach down c. 1.4m
  • Now mounted on Mercedes 4×4 chassis with front and rear axle diff locks and centre diff lock for maximum manoeuvrability and far superior traction, with minimum ground disturbance
  • Fitted with the latest high specification extra wide flotation tyres which minimise ground compaction



Technical data

  • Machine width: ~2.5 metres
  • Machine height: 3.9 metres
  • Machine weight: 10,000kg
  • Trunk diameter: 100 – 160mm
  • Size of rootball: Up to 1.6metres
  • Weight of rootball: Up to 2,500kg
  • Depth of rootball: Up to 1.4metres
  • Trunk circumference: Up to 50cm
  • Water tank capacity: Up to 250gals
  • Tyres: Flotation

Anita Chillmaid
Tree Moving Service /by

Tree Moving Service

Practicality Brown can transplant large trees, as we have the appropriate expertise and specialised tree moving equipment.  We undertake tree moving on a regular basis for a number of private and commercial organisations throughout the UK.

Tree Spade Optimal 1100

Optimal Tree Spade moving individual trees

We have Tree Spade machines which are capable of transplanting trees up to 60cm in girth with our own in house machines and up to 100cm in girth for larger projects with a 3m diameter tree spade.  Our Gallery has more photos showing our tree spade machines in action.

Tree Transplanting Service

Practicality Brown can offer two different tree spades according to tree size, which are available on a price per tree or day work rates. Please contact us for a quote.

We have two Tree Spades available:


Big John


Optimal 1100

Moving trees

Practicality Brown have over 30 years’ experience in tree transplanting and have several Tree Spade machines, including an Optimal 1100 mounted on a Kramer 520 Compact Loader and a Big John 1.6m 4×4 Truck-Mounted Tree spade.

Machines can be supplied with ‘flotation tyres’ for work on sensitive ground, are operated by experienced, trained operators and backed up by a skilled planting team, if needed, for securing the trees or assisting with planting.

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors to extend their own range of capabilities.

Why use a Tree spade to transplant a tree?

A purpose designed tree spade efficiently holds together the rootball during the transplanting process, which is vital to successful tree relocation.

Why Transplant Trees?

Key reasons our clients like us to move their trees;

  1. Changing garden/landscape or building designs
  2. Replacing with more appropriate or native species
  3. Relocating for planning requirements
  4. Thinning out overcrowded woodland and copses
  5. Moving a number of existing trees is often less expensive that buying a new ones

Moving Trees

Tree Transplanting History

There is a great history of landscape designing in Britain. In the 18th century, landscape architects such as Charles Bridgeman, William Kent and Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown created English landscape gardens by clearing land, including trees, to create grand vistas. Some of these trees were felled, but others were planted or transplanted using just manual labour, horse and man-power.

More recently, pioneers in tree moving have had a programme of relocating trees from country estates and woodlands into developing urban areas and as tree spades evolved – Practicality Brown first acquired one in early 1980s – tree survival rates began to rise. The urban landscapes started to change forever with instant first-generation planting.

Development

With the introduction of the lorry-mounted tree spade, tree lifting, moving and planting projects have increased and this instant impact, either for aesthetic looks or for screening, has become a focus of garden designers and landscape architects alike. Many established schools, universities, golf courses, business parks and country estates increasingly see tree moving as a cost effective way to utilise overcrowded woodland areas to enhance new developments on their sites. On new builds and development sites, it is often a condition of the planning permission that existing trees must be “saved” and replanted in appropriate locations once building work is complete.

More recently homeowners have been tempted by developers to partition off and sell large sections of their property – often woodland – so new houses can be built. This involves a lot of tree moving and re-location to create new landscapes and boundaries.

Practicality Brown can help with all aspects of tree moving and planting; simply contact us with your enquiry.

Marketing
We Can Move Trees /in , /by

Relocating Mature Trees

We can move trees! We have the expertise and specialised equipment to transplant large trees.  We undertake tree moving on a regular basis for private and commercial organisations throughout the UK.

Tree Transplanting Service

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors, as it enable them to extend their own range of capabilities.

Moving Trees

Practicality Brown have over 30 years’ experience in tree transplanting and have purpose-built Tree Spade machines, including an Optimal 1100 mounted on a Kramer 520 Compact Loader and a Big John 1.6m 4×4 Truck-Mounted Tree spade.

Machines can be supplied with ‘flotation tyres’ for work on sensitive ground, are operated by experienced, trained operators and backed up by a skilled planting team, if needed, for securing the trees or assisting with planting.

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors to extend their own range of capabilities.

Why Use A Specialist To Move Trees?

As a specialist tree moving company, we have the right experience, expertise and machinery. Our purpose-built tree spade machines are designed to efficiently hold the tree rootball together during the transplanting process, which is vital for successful tree relocation.

Why is Tree Transplanting in demand?

We have seen an increased demand for moving trees recently. There may be a number of reasons why trees may need to be moved, including:

  • The increased restrictions on importing particular tree species from Europe, due to stricter pest and disease controls
  • Economic impact of Brexit and Covid-induced lockdown, with increased tree purchase, higher transport and labour costs
  • Limited availability from UK nurseries, due to increased demand for home grown trees
  • Increased desire to plant more trees to capture carbon and to repurpose tree plantations that need thinning out
  • Increased demand for carbon reduction, meaning that it is more ethical to move trees a few hundred metres rather than hundreds of miles

Tree Transplanting Service

Practicality Brown can offer two different tree spades according to tree size, which are available on a price per tree or day work rates. Please contact us for a quote.

 

Hedges successfully transplanted
Marketing
Woodland Translocation /in , /by

Woodland, Hedgerow and Tree Translocation

Practicality Brown has extensive experience of large scale woodland and hedgerow translocation and tree transplanting.

Woodland translocation: Hedges reduced for transplanting

Hedges reduced for transplanting

Woodland translocation: Low ground pressure machinery to transport woodland components

Low ground pressure machinery working in woodland

Woodland translocation: Optimal Tree Spade moving individual trees

Optimal Tree Spade moving individual trees

Woodland Translocation

Woodland translocation is carried out according to age and likelihood of re-establishment. The most common method involves coppicing of larger trees followed by stump translocation then woodland soil incorporating all mycorrhizal and seed/bulb bank. Care is taken to minimize ground impact, relocate soil horizons and habitat features. Occasionally smaller flora is individually containerized and transplanted according to best horticultural practice.

Hedgerow Translocation

Hedgerow Translocation is carried out according to age and species of hedge and the method best suited to acceptable level of re-establishment on the receptor site. Typically the hedgerow is coppiced, followed by transplanting using either a tree spade machine or by adapted excavator attachments. Successful translocation depends on good aftercare.

 Tree Transplanting

Individual tree moving involves complete tree and root ball translocation using a purpose built vehicle-mounted tree spade. Trees are moved individually from receptor to donor locations one at a time from receptor to donor locations.

Practicality Brown Experience

Practicality Brown is experienced in both woodland assessments, surveying for translocation and carrying out the works.  Any translocation work requires planning, management, operational expertise and aftercare; we have the experience and capabilities, having transplanted over 500,000 root ball stock over three decades.

Woodland Translocation Experience includes Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1), where extensive areas of coppice woodland were transplanted and road building projects such as A46 Widmerpool to Newark completed in 2012 where over 3km of hedge and 3ha was successfully translocated.

“Translocation uses skills from across the company; our tree nursery staff have the horticultural knowledge, whilst our tree clearance division provides the management and innovation required to make it happen”

Alastair Beddall, Managing Director, Practicality Brown

 

For more details, please contact Alastair Beddall or Phil Miller on 01753 652022

Lifting underway
Marketing
Craning trees into rear garden /in , , , /by

Craning trees into rear garden

Our clients were undertaking a refurbishment programme at their home in Kensington, London and wished to add trees to their rear garden, which had no vehicular access. We had been acclimatising their carefully selected trees at our Tree & Hedge Nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire for the previous twelve months, waiting for the house renovations to be completed.

We called in an expert crane hire company, who used their 100 tonne mobile crane to lift the six large rootball trees into the rear garden using our own Newman Frame, which is a bespoke attachment for lifting trees with care, over the rooftops.  The trees were carefully positioning directly into the pre-prepared planting pit, in the rear garden.

The trees were:

The works, which were undertaken by in-house experts, included two days of onsite preparation, a full road closure, planting and project management.

This is an example of the complicated projects that we can undertake; from sourcing specific species, delivery using our own vehicles and planting using our own experienced installation team; that is the Practicality Brown difference.

 

Marketing
Root-balled Trees and Transplanting /in , , , , /by

Bare root trees

Autumn heralds wonderful colours and falling leaves but for growers the cooler soils signify the ideal time to start transplanting trees and shrubs. Specimen trees, typically too large for containers, are systematically transplanted by skilled growers and root-balled with a compact root system, which enables trees to be re-located without stress or shock. This process continues into the winter when the trees are fully dormant making it perfect to transplant them.

Practicality Brown’s preferred growers throughout UK and Europe are now preparing and shipping  those trees selected and reserved during the summer, either to our nursery in Iver or direct to site to satisfy clients requirements.

These trees have their root system carefully enclosed and held in place with wire-wrapped hessian, which ensures the soil remains in contact with the roots throughout lifting, transportation and planting operations. Our root-ball trees have been prepared by being ‘undercut’ i.e. root pruned or transplanted several times (every 3 years for Deciduous and 4 years for Evergreen) to encourage the development of a fibrous root system.

The root ball season is now open; please call us to discuss your requirements. We can advise on preparation, planting and aftercare too.

Marketing
Moving trees for Microsoft /in , , , /by

Practicality Brown moved and transplanted three semi-mature Pyrus Chanticleer (Callery Pear) trees at the Microsoft Campus in Reading, West Berkshire.

The trees formed part of the soft landscaping at the prestigious Reading campus, but had grown too large at their location, restricting potential building and extension plans.  Instead of simply cutting down and removing the trees altogether, PBL advised Microsoft that the trees could be transplanted to a new location within the grounds, using a specialised tree spade machine.  This enables the trees to be saved continued to be enjoyed by campus users and a greener environment for everyone.

Each tree was moved individually, in one action, using the tree spades to carefully lift the tree and roots out of its location and move it to a prepared hole of the same size and shape.  Great care and planning were employed with the machine working so close to the building and to safe guard the ground in the new planting area.

Practicality Brown
Project to transplant important trees /in , /by

Practicality Brown Ltd transplanted 29 Commemorative trees at a care home in Ascot to make way for a new building.  All the trees were in the 20-50cm girth size and were carefully pruned ready for transplanting into a woodland walk on the same site, which we undertook with our tree spade machine, enriching the environment for the residents.

Practicality Brown
Large Trees for maximum impact /in , , , /by

With a reputation for planting big trees, we were asked to plant three very large, semi mature tulip trees (Liriodendron), at a private garden on the Oxfordshire/ Berkshire borders. Over 13 metres tall and girth circumferences of 100cm+, these trees required careful transportation, lifting and handling during installation. See the hedge & tree projects page for more images.

Practicality Brown
Screening Trees Craned into London back garden /in , , /by

Screening Trees

A client living in Thurloe Square, London (near the Victoria and Albert Museum) wanted trees as a screen in their rear garden, which had no vehicular access.

Our solution was to use a crane to lift the Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) trees into position.  With the limited access, this project required road closures; then each of the trees were when lifted over the rooftops and positioned directly into the prepared planting pit in the rear garden.