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  This 38-inch root ball was dug in less than 20 minutes. See a video of the system in action on the Tripple Brook Farm website.
Steve Breyer, owner of Tripple Brook Farm in Southampton, Mass., uses an innovative approach to digging trees and shrubs on his New England nursery.
The Root Cutter, a specially designed tool, is used first in conjunction with a spade to cut the root ball. “The Root Cutter reaches under the lower portion of a root ball where a spade can’t reach,” Breyer said.
Next the Tree Lifter and Root Ball Grappling Forks are used to lift the root ball. The system can lift trees and shrubs with root balls up to 48 inches in diameter and weighing 1,500 pounds or more. “We’ve dug a 12-foot tall hemlock with a 38-inch root ball in about 16 minutes,” he said.
The Tripple Book Farm (TBF) Tree Digging System was developed to handle digging situations where mechanical systems couldn’t be used.
“When we acquired a power-driven tree digger, we thought it would be the solution to our need for a good, efficient way to transplant trees and shrubs,” Breyer said. “We soon discovered, however, that the tree digger has many limitations. Our simple, manual transplanting system worked so well that we no longer use other equipment for digging trees and shrubs.”
This lightweight system can dig trees almost anywhere – on steep terrain, in soft or wet soils, near walls or fences, and among dense plantings, he said.
The system also allows the user to adjust the shape of the root ball.
“The shape of the root systems of trees and shrubs varies. Some are broad and shallow while others are deeper,” he said. “Our system is flexible and allows the shape of the root ball to be adjusted to the natural shape of the root system being dug, which helps with transplant success.”
Breyer also manufactures and sells the system to growers, landscapers and landowners.
Gordon Fletcher-Howell, owner of Landscapes by Earthcare in Amherst, Mass., calls the system “ingenious.” His crew often uses the TBF Tree Digging System to move trees that have become too big for their space, or to plant large specimens where it’s not practical to bring in a machine.
For more: Tripple Brook Farm, (413) 527-4626; www.tripplebrookfarm.com.
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