The Casual Guide to Tree Planting
By Sonya Welter
Trees can be intimidating, especially for novice gardeners.
A sapling usually costs $20 to $100—way more than a packet of lettuce seeds or a six pack of pansies—and trees can make a huge impact on your landscape—sometimes literally, if flooding or strong winds blow them over onto your house or car.
It’s worth it to take your time and make sure your trees are planted right.
First, buy the healthiest tree you can, and make sure that it’s hardy for your climate. Bare root trees should be planted as early as possible in the spring.
Potted trees are a little more flexible, but they’re best planted in the spring or the fall, when temperatures are milder (gardeners in very warm climates can plant trees in the winter).
Try to plant you tree as soon as possible after you buy it, but if you can’t, keep bare root trees in a cool, dark location until planting, and make sure the root ball stays moist (if it’s dry, soak it in a bucket of water overnight, then bury it in mulch like shredded bark and wrap it loosely in plastic or burlap). Potted trees should be protected from both freezing temperatures and extreme heat, and should be watered regularly.
Trees transplant best on cooler, overcast days. Dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball and twice as wide, and rough up the inside of the hole with a garden fork so that the roots can more easily spread out into the soil. When you’re digging the hole, start a new pile of dirt whenever the soil changes color or texture, and when you’re planting, try to replace the soil in roughly the same order it was excavated.
Plants depend on micro-organisms and an intricate soil structure, and the less you disturb the soil layers, the more your tree with thrive. For this reason, you don’t want to add compost or manure the planting hole, since it will disrupt the natural order of the soil. You also run the risk of having the roots circle around in the rich compost, never venturing out into the native soil, and eventually strangling the tree. If your soil is very poor, use compost as a top dressing so that the nutrients can slowly filter down into the ground.
Build a small mound in the hole to spread the roots out over. Potted trees should be removed from their containers and the roots should be gently teased out of the potting mix. Bury the tree to the depth it was originally growing and stamp down the dirt to ensure good soil-to-root contact. It’s a good idea to wrap galvanized hardware cloth around the base of the tree to protect the bark from hungry mice and bunnies.
Spread several inches of mulch or compost over the ground around the tree to block out weeds and help retain soil moisture, and then water very deeply. I like to build a little berm around the tree to catch the water, and then just plop the hose in there and let the water slowly run for about a hour. New trees will need lots of water their first year or two, but thereafter will only need watering in very dry conditions.
May 1st, 2010 at 6:47 pm
I will just add since I work with trees a lot – people should learn about the trees before they buy them and get the right one for their yard to give them a good start.
For example, I get questions about what the homeowner should do about a 75′ tree sitting in a spot that can only handle 25′. Give your tree that extra boost at the beginning by making sure it can thrive in your yard.
May 4th, 2010 at 3:47 am
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