At the nursery, the root balls are either kept wrapped in burlap or boxed until purchased. The advantage to being shipped at the nursery is that customers can see exactly what they are buying, a reasonable request when spending large sums of money. Moving the trees around takes large trailers and cranes, or loaders. For crane installation, the root ball is balanced in a sling and then lifted into place with a crane or with a loader. The main limitation, for the largest trees, is that the plant location must be within reach of the crane boom.
Difficulties also arise when the home is an area with limited access.
We have access to a crane with a sixty-foot reach, but you have to take into account the cost of the crane. In especially difficult spots, the company has even explored the possibility of using helicopters. Many of Ohashi's projects are along the shores of Lake Washington where the city of Seattle imposes its Sensitive Areas ordinance. On a current project, the firm must work around regulations that will not allow vegetation to be removed on a steep hillside that runs down to the lake. It must meet requirements that forbid removal of existing vegetation, replacement of vegetation that is damaged and weight restrictions on what is placed there.