Transplant Mountain Laurel--How to make sure they live?

[esarratt]

I have some large (5" diameter trunk) mountain laurels which I want to transplant.  I want as many of them to live as possible.

It is the laurels on the right side of this image with the pink flag underneath.


 

Another view.


 

The laurels  are in the path of my future driveway.  The driveway will be where the mountain laurels are now.

Any suggestions?

I plan to leave the larger trees to the right and left of the driveway; I know they might die from soil compaction.  If they die I will cut them and mill them.

I am in Western North Carolina at about 3000' feet.

My plan is to move the laurels to another portion of the South facing slope pretty close to where they are currently planted.

[GullyBog]

Those are nice mature shrubs.  That doesn't help though.  After I dig something like that up, I cut back the top to equal or less than what roots I could get.  Every one of those leaves loses water to the air so cutting off some of the top is good.  If it ends up looking like a barbell oh well.  It will also help the transplant from tipping over in the wind.  If there are lots of rocks around then they might be useful in stabilizing the transplant.  Looks like a piece of heaven is waiting past that shrub

[mike_belben]

They like well drained [sloped] poor clay soils, high acid and lots of sun.  Grow more robust on the top of the hill where sun is stronger for longer. The deer eliminate all competition because the laurel is mildly poisonous to them.   Put them on any slope besides north. 

[SwampDonkey]

I'd like to have a row of rhodora but we don't have the soil type here. Not sandy or sour enough. I know blueberry wont take here in potato country unless you add something to sour the ground.

[ESFted]

Depending on your timeline, you might consider root pruning six months before moving.  This will give the plants time to grow new roots inside the drip line before they get moved and help reduce stress.

[kantuckid]

They like well drained [sloped] poor clay soils, high acid and lots of sun.  Grow more robust on the top of the hill where sun is stronger for longer. The deer eliminate all competition because the laurel is mildly poisonous to them.   Put them on any slope besides north.

I'd have thought that laurel was in the same family as Rhodos? I can attest that deer eat our rhododendrons for sure-enough to make me angry.
I wish they liked briars better than they do...

OP- I'm thinking you'll be really lucky to move them successfully, but best of luck! In my area they are found near the edges of sandstone cliffs. Zero found on our own land. 

[mike_belben]

theyre both in the ericaceae family and have the poison.  turns out honey from rhododendron is fatally toxic to humans.. didnt know that so im glad you said something that made me googlefu it.

andromedotoxin and arbutin are the compounds.

http://www.rhodyman.net/rhodytox.html  
^ cases of poisoning.

if deer are browsing mountain laurel, which does happen, it is because they are starving.  reduce the herd or feed them or plant for them.  in winter one should drop cull trees for the deer to eat the branch tips to survive. 

[SwampDonkey]

I would imagine rhodora would be similar toxicology as rhododendron, although it isn't mentioned at all by the Peterson Field Guide of Eastern/Central 'Medicinal Plants'. There is a poem dedicated to the plant my Waldo Emerson at least.

[kantuckid]

Our local mast crop is decent enough that deer here will be fine. Mostly hickories and Chestnut & other oaks not so much White Oak. 
A local guy who has kept bees a longtime is also a professional forester. His home is up high as are his bees. I've been in his forest area, and it's definitely got laurel and rhodos up there as it's all ridge land with sandstone ridge caps where they grow. The deer at my house browse our azaleas and rodos but seems to be a driveway walk by and taste thing, not a devour all leaves event. 
We mulch our acid plants with hardwood mulch I buy by the trailer load, otherwise they don't really like it near my house in nasty clay crappy soil. All mine are bought plants. 

[mike_belben]

Yeah a little dab is no big deal but if you see those plants stripped to the browse line it means the herd is facing starvation.  I saw it my first year out here for some reason and thought laurel was a staple food for a while.

If i saw it again id hinge cut junky trees and maybe put out some corn.  The herd really needs thinned when its that bad or every animal will suffer.