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You are here: Home / Business / Backyard Nursery / How To Ball and Burlap Dig A Tree

How To Ball and Burlap Dig A Tree

Updated : June 17, 2024

30 Comments

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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    February 1, 2015 at 9:39 am

    Mike , another great tutorial. Worried about your health. Hope you are up to date medically . Nana

    Reply
    • Mike says

      February 1, 2015 at 12:29 pm

      Nana,

      I’m actually in much better health now than I was when we made this video. Thank you for you concern!

      Reply
  2. Domenic says

    February 25, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    Hi Mike,
    Thank you for another informative video.
    In your plant propagation video you mentioned coarse sand, I looked everywhere for it with no luck. After watching your video, ‘Plant Propagation Madness’, I could not wait to get started so, I decided to try a 50/50 mix of beach sand and peat moss, at first the results were not good, the soil was too packed, I decided to loosen up the soil with a wooden stick, this made all the difference, the soil is now very loose just as though I used coarse sand. I would say more than half of my cuttings rooted. Not bad for my first try. It is exciting to see roots at the end of a cutting especially a first timer. I enjoyed your videos so much I watched them twice, there is just too much information to take in.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      February 26, 2014 at 7:55 am

      Domenic,

      What you learned is that the medium in which you use to root the cuttings can vary a great deal. As long as it doesn’t pack and or stay too wet. Believe it or not, you should be able to get 90% success on many things that you try and root.

      Reply
  3. Lisa says

    January 22, 2014 at 10:25 am

    Great video as always. My question is totally unrelated. What is a good wood or material to use for a raised bed? I’ve heard that some things are not good for the plants/soil. Any suggestions?

    Can’t wait to start planting,
    Lisa

    Reply
  4. Sue Berry says

    October 26, 2013 at 8:02 am

    Hi Mr.Mike; Great Work an Great Job. Only problem this video did not work on my computer Dog gone it! Enjoy your videos. This Christmas I asked Santa for your book. We’ll see! God Bless Miss Sue C .

    Reply
  5. Mike says

    October 22, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    Great Job Mike,

    Love your Video’s and Keep them coming. I know you have a video on starting Sand Cherry cuttings, but I can not find it. I tried burning bush cuttings in the July with no success . can I do some for over the winter in Gilford Ontario?.
    Its to bad that we live so far apart from each other, because I would enjoy giving you a helping hand with anything.
    Mike

    Reply
  6. Jan says

    September 19, 2012 at 8:29 am

    Mike Rocks!

    Reply
  7. CJ says

    August 30, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    Another helpful video. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Joan OBrien says

    May 28, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    Mike,
    You are so engaging and I enjoyed a great lesson … the lesson, there is a season for everything and we need to honor the season and cycle.
    Merci,
    Joan

    Reply
  9. Jen says

    February 20, 2012 at 11:52 am

    Mike, your videos are so helpful and informative, but I’m worried about your health. Lose weight and get yourself healthy so you can enjoy many more years in your garden!!!

    Reply
    • Mike says

      February 20, 2012 at 2:24 pm

      Jen, I’m working on it, stay tuned.

      Reply
  10. Olivia Cornyn says

    September 16, 2011 at 7:04 pm

    GREAT DEMO !!! Thanks for the info !!!

    Reply
  11. James Alexander says

    August 9, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    Mike, I really enjoyed this one. Almost my entire family on my mother’s side, starting with my uncles and now in the third generation are in the nursery business in central Louisiana. I can remember back in the thirties and forties when they grew a lot of field plants and would dig and ball them. Haven’t seen that done in years. I went into the army at 18 and stayed until retirement and never got near the nurseries except for a visit. I still love to make cuttings from my plants (and from other folks plants also) I have one though that is baffling me. I had bought my wife a Lady Banks yellow and a white climbing rose and by golly haven’t been able to get them to root. any suggestions. alex

    Reply
  12. Zane says

    June 10, 2011 at 12:52 pm

    Where can you buy the burlap you wrap or “ball” around the tree roote?

    Reply
  13. Sue Gartner says

    April 25, 2011 at 1:16 pm

    Thanks for the lesson, Mike. I have evergreen’s I need to move. Are they ever considered “dormant” at anytime of the year? You mentioned you could kill the tree if it’s not dormant. Any suggestions? I definitely do not want to kill these trees. I appreciate any information you can give me. Thanks again – Sue
    email:[email protected]

    Reply
  14. Nina says

    April 22, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    thanks for taking the time,you have helped me alot over this past year,you know your stuff.Yours truley ,why dont roses smell like roses?

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    March 30, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    What is a tap root? I dont want to kill my flowering cherry tree as it is still dormant.

    Reply
  16. Donna says

    March 28, 2011 at 11:48 am

    Thanks Mike, very well done & informative.

    Reply
  17. Ava says

    March 27, 2011 at 10:42 pm

    Great video Mike. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  18. frank/upstate n.y. says

    March 27, 2011 at 8:35 pm

    keep the videos coming mike , everyone enjoys them.

    Reply
  19. Dean says

    March 27, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    you done good. Don;t worry about it.

    Reply
  20. Tammy Sheffield says

    March 27, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    Mike
    How do you know if you got the tap root. I have heard this all my life if you don’t get the tap root it will die. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      March 28, 2011 at 8:39 am

      Tammy, that’s all smoke and mirrors. Any tree that is intended to be transplanted goes through a root developement program at the nursery. If it’s not a nursery grown tree, you dig it exactly as I did while the tree is dormant. If you dig a non dormant tree you will kill it.

      Reply
      • Lj Anderson says

        August 30, 2012 at 2:04 pm

        So moving it when it’s not dormant is why mine died. So sad. Thanks for the info.

        Reply
  21. SCgardner says

    March 27, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    Thanks for the video–now I can’t wait to see what you put in its place.

    Reply
  22. Ron says

    March 27, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    Nice job Mike. I have 5 3 to 4 ft. white spruce to move shortly so this will come in handy for me.

    Reply
  23. Shari says

    March 27, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    Thanks for taking the time and the energy to show you do that!

    Reply
  24. JUAN says

    March 27, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    MIKE, THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT GARDENING LECTURE………………THANKS

    Reply
  25. Bruce in Royalton Mn. says

    March 27, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    Hi Mike’
    This by far one of the best “how-to” videos you’ve made to date. The topic was covered thoroughly enough to get the important points across without being too long. Congratulations on getting through another Winter. The weather looks to be about three weeks ahead of what we’re experiencing here in Central Minnesota. Yes, I envy that fact, but, I’ll get over it.

    Reply

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