Can I dig a tree up and replant it?

[Afternoonteavirgin]

I have an ash tree in my garden. I know their roots are in danger of spreading and uprooting my house... everyone keeps telling me to chop it down but I just don't want to-I'd feel wrong!

Can i dig it up and put it somewhere else? How difficult is that to do? Wil I get arrested?

Those are lovely species Errol. I’d like a crab apple, some people down our road have one and its such a nice shape, looks lovely when its wearing its blossom too.

Ask if anyone local wants it after summer. They can get huge. We've just had a huge one cut down (sadly afflicted by dieback and dropping huge branches).

Yeah, the dieback thing is really sad to see. But it’s another reason to not have an ash close to buildings etc. the branches dropping are an issue. It would also make it more tricky to manage if it got too big - arborists won’t climb them now to do crown work for example as they’re too risky. Better to have something different in your garden and consider very carefully where you would replant it if you are going to go down this route.

I had a self seeded ash growing near my garden wall, it was starting to crack the wall. Repeated cutting back made no difference, so I cut through the 'stem' and main branches, drilled a hole in the flat cut surfaces, and painted/poured in some tree stump killer. Had to repeat it once or twice, but it seems to have killed it.

I find the tales of killing trees very sad.
I understand that it has to happen though.

I've bought a couple of gifts from 'established titles' so I guess I have donated to preserve woodland in that way?

I’m the other end of the country. That’s a shame

I feel sad when established trees are chopped down needlessly, but that's not what this is so don't feel bad.

I have to weed out dozens of ash (and birch) saplings every year as they seem to want to colonise my front and back gardens!