A Tree Planting Guide

When planting trees, the vital thing you need to take into consideration before selecting a location is the mature height and spread of the tree. If you may be tempted by all of the different species that are offered, take care to choose carefully, particularly if you have an average size yard, because crowding spoils the growth and appearance of trees, particularly specimen trees.

It really is typically most economical to plant young trees. Planting an adult tree is difficult and can be costly if done professionally. It may well justify the trouble, however, if a mature tree is badly needed for a terrace or for screening. What you are paying or may be the time it takes an inferior tree to mature.

The best time to transplant a tree is in the early spring or late fall. It is possible to plant trees in full leaf with the aid of wilt-proof sprays that seal the leaves against moisture loss before roots are established, but this costs money and entails greater risks than buying your tree and planting it in planting season.

When planting a tree over 6 feet high, it will suffer less setback if moved with a bur lapped root ball.

Since the root system needs fertile soil when it's planted, special steps should be taken. Dig the hole 2 feet deep and at the very least 1 foot wider than the full spread of the roots in each direction. The bottom should be split up with a pitchfork and thoroughly mixed with peat, leaf mold, loam, etc.

Manure can be used sparingly and really should only be spread at the top of the hole or it can burn the roots. The deeper you cultivate the hole, the higher for your tree. Once planted, you can cultivate around it however, not under the roots. If you hit a layer of creating debris or clay, which is never uncommon near a house, you need to remove this layer and replace it with good soil, or on top of that, garden humus.

Should you be planting a bare root seedling, you will want to protect it by "heeling in" a vacant flower bed where it can be kept before planting as long as it is dormant.


This means laying it on its side at an angle to the ground and within the roots with good soil. While you are ready to go on it from the soil, give it a mud bath or "puddle" it. This protects the roots from contact with air before planting and in addition from any air pockets which might exist around the roots after planting. After filling the hole to the depth required by the roots of the plant, flood it with water to settle the soil at the bottom; when it has drained away, place the tree in the position in which it is to grow and complete the soil around it.

You can find out more around the roots utilizing a stick or shovel handle, and make certain you can find no air pockets. Spread the roots naturally, planting the tree at around the same depth as its former location. When the hole is two-thirds, of the way full, tramp it down and fill with water again. Complete the remaining soil without tramping it down, in order that the water will drain towards the trunk.

A balled-and-bur lapped tree is one that has been dug with a good ball of soil in which it has been growing in, its root system is thus amply covered and protected. The ball is held set up by way of a secure covering of burlap and twine. To plant it, set the tree in a hole slightly less than it stood in the nursery. Work the soil beneath this depth, as described previously.

If the ground is dry, fill the hole with water and let it soak in before planting. Cut the burlap at the top once you put the tree in place, and roll it back several inches. You'll plant the burlap and all. The burlap will soon rot away.

After the tree is planted you can cut it back sharply. If necessary brace the tree with wire ropes. For the first year, the more cultivation round the tree the higher, keeping weeds away, too, with straw or mulch, in the spring and fall can help keep the moisture in the bottom.

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Pub: 11 Jan 2024 04:55 UTC

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