Urban Yamadori Pine

I've got an opportunity tomorrow to collect a fairly large pine in suburban Chicago, but I know nothing about pines. Is the chance of success this time of year worth the 4-5 hour effort to dig and re-plant? I don't know the variety but it looks roughly like a wild mugo pine (not a dwarf mounding type). The base is a good 5" diameter and the hight is 5ft, with lots of movement in the trunk - it's a beatiful tree, probably 20-30yrs old. The site is scheduled for demolition and tomorrow is the last day for access.

My plan would be to dig and replant at my house, and just let it rest for a year or so before doing any more work on it. What do you think?

Dig it with as large a root ball as you can manage. Can you manage a 100 pound root ball by yourself? Try not to let the root ball crumble apart. Wrap it wellw ith burlap and twine or rope. Plant it in the ground, soak it well and let it grow for a couple of Winters before trying to repot it. I don't have much experience with pines, but this is what the experts tell me. Good luck! (The key is keeping the soil around the roots intact.)
Salut, Todd

Hello. Dig as big a rootball as yo can manage. If you mean to plant in the ground or a training pot, then leave it alone for a couple of years. Pruning can be done, in the first year but no wiring.

Thanks for the replies but it didn't go as planned. Once I got beneath the mulch, it turned out the actual root base was much larger and farther away than I thought - apparently it was a larger tree in the past. Maybe next time...