Gardening and Horticulture - Moving shrubs and trees

I read thru several posts regarding transplanting trees and found some useful info. I am in the process of transplanting several arborvitae. I have successfully moved several small trees and shrubs over the past year. Since I do not operate a bobcat or backhoe, I have dug them up using a shovel, spade, and a pick. In previous sussessful efforts I have heaved the root ball up out of the hole and onto a piece of heavy fabric and then depending on the weight, it was dragged, carried, or wheelbarrowed to the new location.

Anyone have any tips or knowledge to share about the initial root ball to fabric transfer? I am incredibly awkward trying to lift out a 50+ lb root ball!

When they were available, I found that teenaged children were a big help. Later, the boyfriends were handy. Now, there are only the dogs left. The dogs are no help.

HA! They don't make boyfriends like they used to. My 7 lb Pomeranian thinks it's a spectator sport. I moved a three foot tall forsythia a couple of weeks ago. I had a large "moat" around the root ball, sat down on the ground, feet down in the hole, strandled the root ball and proceeded to wrestle it out. (I should make a laundry commercial.)