In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

On 23/06/2014 15:20, P. Alves wrote:
Glue is not an option.

I do not particularly fancy putting a net over the trees, but I will try next season and will take it from there.

One of my friends wants the trees. This will be a better option rather than killing it, but I am guessing it will be really hard to dig them. Any suggestion?

Thanks

I wouldn't even think about moving 12 year old fruit trees without
professional equipment that would cost more than the trees are worth,
pandas they haven't been grown with moving in mind I would give them
less than a 10% chance of surviving.

I agree. If you abandon the notion of removing them to regrow,
just getting them out is so much simpler. Cut the trunks at a height of
3 ft; so you can use it as a lever. Then dig out/pickaxe loose the soil
in a circle about 18 " around the trunk. Then use an axe and saw to
sever all the roots you can see, and use the lever to rock the rootball
over to cut them underneath. Go all the way round doing the same until
the rootball is freed loose, and you can drag /lift it out of the hole.
This way, you leave most of the roots underground where they will
die.. no need to go to the labour of digging them all out.

Janet