About 3 years ago, I had five 8-9' tall bluespruces dug and transported to my Northern Michigan condo from the Indian River area. They cost me $500.00 each and are now about 10-11' tall. I constructed a berm to make a natural barrier. I'm told that I got a deal. They are beautiful.

If your trees are in good condition, full & evenly shaped, you definitely should consider selling them. They can be hand dug with about 5-6' diameter root balls. The balls weigh about 500+ pounds each. I transported them with my 18' flatbed trailer and dropped them in place with my loader and built a berm around them. Another way is with a large tree spade.

You could run an ad in your local paper or post it in the local grocery store. Someone is always looking for some big trees. For pricing, check out what tree farms are getting for them. Spades are easier and less back breaking but expensive to rent.

Most tree guys will tell you not to dig a spruce in late spring when the new growth spurts, that's about end of May. You can then start again in mid-September. That time between you need to be very careful and do lots of watering. If you transport them, cover with a tarp. The wind blowing past the needles when driving down the road for an extended journey can dry the tree out.

Also be careful with the limbs. You will need to tie them up kinda like a Christmas tree during transport. Don't put too much pressure on them. I had a couple limbs die out, but my trees were so thick, it didn't matter.

I took some pictures last week with a regular camera. Will try to post them next week.

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