Tree Planting and Care: Deciduous
Location and Selection
Choose the right sized tree for the area you have in mind. Allow space for the mature tree. If you are looking for shade, a larger tree is generally best. If your area is small, then a blooming ornamental or fruit tree will fill the area and provide a bonus of colorful flowers and/or fruit.
Planting
Dig a hole twice as wide and only as deep as the rootball of the tree. Be sure to adjust the hole so that the top of the rootball is level to the ground level. Next remove the container. Plastic pots can be removed by turning the plant upside down or on its side and gently tapping on the pot until the plant slides out.
If you notice that the root ball is tightly overdeveloped, make vertical cuts with sharp shears or a knife, 1” deep from the top to the bottom of the root ball on all four sides. Also, make a horizontal cut 2” deep on the bottom of the root ball from side to side and spread the cut open when planting. This procedure does not hurt the plant and will ensure proper rooting into the ground. If the root ball is burlap wrapped be sure to trim back the burlap from the top of the ball after placing it in the planting hole or it may wick water away from the root system and kill the plant. Any wire on the root ball should be removed.
After placing the plant in the hole, fill around the rootball with a blended mixture of 1/3 organic compost or peat moss and 2/3 of your soil. Firm the backfill by tamping it gently. Build a watering basin around the plant high enough to hold 3” to 4” of water. Make the basin at least twice as wide as the hole you dug. Place mulch in the basin, 2” to 3” deep, using organic compost or bark. Immediately water the tree deeply by filling the basin with water once, letting it soak in and then filling it up a second time. Using a root stimulator at planting time will greatly reduce transplant shock and encourage your trees to resume their normal growing habits more quickly.
Pruning
Most trees require little, if any, pruning to maintain desired shape and vigor. Pruning is best confined to removal of dead, diseased, unsightly or competing branches. Most pruning is best done in early spring. Many people like to remove the lowest branches of a tree to make it possible to walk underneath the tree. This should be done gradually, only removing a couple of branches each year. When pruning, it is very important that the pruning cut be made outside of the branch collar. You may cover the fresh wound with a thin coat of pruning paint.
Watering
Always observe local watering ordinances.
It is impossible to give a watering schedule that will be right for every tree in all conditions. Soil type, root ball and plant size, growth rate, air temperature, humidity, wind and light intensity will all affect how often a tree needs watering.
The basic rule of thumb is to water deeply, but infrequently. Get the water down a minimum of 18” at each watering. This encourages the plant to develop a deep, drought tolerant root system. Then give the soil a chance to dry slightly between waterings. It is common for people to kill or unnecessarily stress their plants by watering too frequently. The roots of a plant require oxygen in order to function. If the soil is constantly waterlogged, there is not enough oxygen available to the root system and the roots suffocate and die.
Our recommendation is to maintain water basins around tress (except those watered by drip systems). The basin should be wide enough to accommodate the root system of the plant for the first 3-4 years (generally out beyond the drip-line of the plant) and high enough to hold 3” to 4” of water. Fill the basin, let it soak in, then fill again. Let the soil dry slightly (to a depth of 2” to 4”) before the next watering. To determine dryness, remove a handful of soil from that depth and squeeze it; if it holds its shape then the soil is still wet; if it falls apart then it is time to water. After using this trick several times you will learn the plant’s watering schedule.
For plants that will be watered by drip or sprinkler systems, water as described above at planting time, then, within a few weeks, remove the basin. Most of the plant’s needs can now be met with your watering system’s schedule. However, a deep soaking every month or two is recommended for optimum nurturing. During the winter months, we recommend a deep soaking on a monthly basis for at least the first two years after planting.
Feeding
Begin fertilizing the next spring after planting in late April or May with granular, liquid or spike fertilizers. We recommend that you maintain mulch around your plantings at all times, 2” to 3” thick, using organic compost or bark. Mineral supplements, like Ironite, greensand/rock dust, Copperas or soil sulfur are necessary 1-3 times per year to keep soil loosened and neutralized and the plants properly fed.
Pests
Most disease and insect problems should be dealt with as soon as they appear. Proper diagnosis is very important. Bring in an affected plant sample to us so that we can help diagnose the problem and prescribe the best treatment. An application of dormant spray (insect or disease) in the late winter or early spring can prevent many problems in the coming growing season as can good sanitation in your landscape.