Tree growing next to phone box

[Mr T]

Telephone lines around here are underground. I have a small oak tree (about 1.5-2" diamater trunk) growing right next to (2-3 inches) a phone "junction" pole. (6" square green box coming about 4' out of the ground where my house's phone line seperates from the trunk line). I would love to be able to move the oak tree and save it without digging up phone lines. I have had utilities marked in the past and they travel right under the tree. No clue how deep the phone lines are. THre is also a line coming out of this box going to a house, but it comes out the other side of the box.

Is this possible?
If so, would the phone company have to do this, or do I?

[mdshunk]

I've seen phone lines right under the sod, and others 4 to 6 feet deep. It just depends on how drastically the grade was monkeyed with when your development was built. I'm having my doubts about how successful moving that tree will be. Maybe you could figure out a way to get a phone guy out to tell you how deep that stuff is? Most of the better wire tracers now can tell you how deep the wires are.

[Mr T]

I am in NW ohio, what is grade? :D Around here man made hills (the ONLY hills we got) are tourist attractions. THey even get names.

But anyways. I'll give em a call. Is it their say on who moves the tree if it is movable?

[mdshunk]

Is it their say on who moves the tree if it is movable?
I dunno. I suspect that they'll tell you that you can do whatever you want to, but if you damage their cable, you pay for that too. I'm not so sure that a little oak tree is worth all that, but then again, I live in the woods and have about a zillion more trees than I really need.

[xkvator]

I have a small oak tree

What species of oak is it?

[Mr T]

MD> What I figured would be the 'policy' I got a few oaks in my yard already, wouldnt mind having another in that row. I'm too lazy and cheap to go out and buy one. Oh well, good excuse to get the chain saw out and see if it still starts.

XK> I think its a red oak.. I dont know my oaks that well...

[mdshunk]

Oh well, good excuse to get the chain saw out and see if it still starts.
Hey, don't cut it down just because I'm a tree hater. Maybe there's some logical way to git-r-done without sacrificing the tree or the phone line. I just don't happen to have any ideas, but surely someone might. I do know that you can screw up a phone cable even by hand digging. They often are not in a conduit.

[xkvator]

if the leaves are out, it's probably 50/50 if it will live...maybe less.
wait till early next spring and be real careful with a shovel...1.5-2" shouldn't have much of a root system.

chainsaw?...you mean hacksaw, don't you? :confused: :D

[Mr T]

Its not condemmed yet... I just didnt see much hope of saving it.

XK> I always heard fall is the best time to do this stuff? Is it better then spring?

Just joking about using a chainsaw on something that small.. need a excuse to get it out this year.. I cut down everything that needed it last year (9 more tree's down last spring, stumps got ground out today...finally). Had 2 gardners that have lived here in the past, and many others who dont know how to take care of things to keep them from overgrowing.

[xkvator]

i'm not a tree expert, but the best time for most deciduous trees is early spring - some can be transplanted in fall after leaves drop, some can't. i have some crimson king maples that i was told to transplant only in spring.
most conifers can be transplanted anytime - there's 1 that can't & i don't remember which...
in summer, it's probably 50/50 - i transplanted a 30' black walnut, 8 - 10" dia. that had to be moved in the middle of summer and it survived. water's critical...not too little, not too much.
if your oak is a nice tree, try to save it.

don't let that mad tree hater MD talk you into cutting it down...i've been out in his area...lot's of defoliation...i think he breeds gypsy moths for pets :D

T...my neighbor/son & 16 others are leaving for Port Clinton this afternoon for 2 days of fishing...i hear the weather's not going to be so good...more rain for the next couple days!

[Mr T]

I got 2 red oaks that are huge in my back yard (i can outfit a church with wood).. wouldnt mind having a 3rd iin the row.. My neighbors will hate me... when these oaks drop their leaves (mid november, after everyone else is doen with leaves), they are all over the neighborhood.

I'll call the phone company monday and see what their policy is (SBC/ameritech...again..not too confident in this tree's future :mad: )

MD-tree-hater should have been here to help me a 6 years back. SOmeone planted a row of 6 junipur bushes back when the house was built in 56. According to neighbors, they were NEVER trimmed. It took a tree service a week to cut them down. I still have (outdoor) firewood from these. I found a telephone pole buried under them. Some of these had about a 12-15' diamater footprint. Suprised I didnt find a car hidden under these things.

Yup, we got some ugly crap brewin on lake michigan headin towards us. SO much for getting the rest of my yard mowed... Oh, well get to tear apart a pinball game that I'm restoring...much more fun. :) :D

[Mr T]

Heres the tree.... I'm not as worried about IF the tree will survive.. But If I can safely get the tree out of there when the right time to do it comes....

[Mr T]

Just a quick update...
Finally got around to calling SBC/Ameritech today. As I expected, they said it is not their problem. They said it is my city/township's problem. They "own" all the trees on right of ways. Good news for me, as my township is one of the most laid back townships that I have seen. I'll give them a call sometime this week when I get around to it. Maybe I'll give em back their zoning regulations code that I borrowed a few years back...Got a feeling it is their only copy. :D