Planting Trees and Shrubs
- Don't stake. Exception: On a windy site, it is advisable to stake a tree, but for no longer than one year. Use two to three stakes connected to the tree with a wire. The wire should be covered with a piece of rubber hose where it comes in contact with the bark.
- Don't wrap. Exception: Thin-bark trees benefit from protection in the winter. A paper tree wrap or white-colored drainage tile, extending from 1 inch below ground to the first series of branches, thwarts gnawing rodents and protects the tree against frost cracking. Do not use dark-color drainage tile. Remove the wrap in the spring to allow the trunk to expand.
- Don't fertilize. Exception: It's OK to use balanced, slow-release fertilizer if the backfill soil is poor. Usually available in pellets, small briquettes, or beads, these encapsulated fertilizers release nutrients gradually over 12-18 months -- by which time roots have grown into the backfill soil.
- Don't amend the soil. Exception: Amend the soil when planting rosebushes and smaller shrubs. It's especially helpful when planting a hedge.
How to Plant a Tree
-Trees add years of beauty to your landscape and help shade your house keeping it cooler around the summer and attract birds as well. It's pretty easy to plant a tree. Just follow these simple steps for success. First off, make sure you're planting your tree in the best possible spot. Pay attention to the size of the tree so that it doesn't end up outgrowing it space. Also note the growing conditions ensuring the tree is compatible to your soil type, the amount of sun and shade they gets, and other climate factors. Once you place your tree, mark a hole about twice as wide as the pot. We find it easy to leave the tree in place then start your circle removing the side in 1 or 2 pieces and then digging up the trail. One of the most important things to pay attention to when you're planting your tree is making sure the tree's planting hole is about as the opposite farthest hole. Avoid digging the hole too deeply. It's more work for you and harmful to the old tree. As you drop your tree into the hole, loosen the root balls spreading up the roots. This is important too. The tree roots grow in circles inside the pot. They continue to grow that way and eventually strangle your tree. After your tree is placed, fill the hole with the soil you dug from it. Resist the urge to fill it with better soil. You don't want to create a pocket for your tree's roots that they don't want to grow out of. Water you tree well and cover the soil with a couple of inches of mulch. This keeps the soil cool and moist as your tree gets established.
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