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PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS

By Brian Matchett

How do Trees and Shrubs Help Us?

• Provide shade

• Provide wildlife habitat

• Provide food for wildlife

• Provide lumber– Paper– Houses– Warmth

http://www.bunnybass.com/trees/trees_pictures.shtml

Where do I get Trees and Shrubs?

• Purchase from mail order catalogs

– Two main problems with mail order catalogs:

1. You do not see the plant before you buy it2. Plants shipped long distances can be dried out

or damaged

– Always check the reputation of a mail order source for quality and replacement of damaged plants


• Obtain from wild wooded areas– permission should be obtained before removing any

plants from these areas!

• Purchase plants from a nursery or garden center– they grow their own plants

– you can go out to their field and pick the ones you want


• Purchase plants from a nursery or garden center (cont.)– plants are already accustomed to the area’s

climate– almost all nurseries will guarantee their plants

Hints for Buying Stock from a Nursery

• Deciduous Shrubs

– select a dense, well-shaped , healthy-looking plant

– a height measurement of 15’-18’ means the plant will grow to be 15’-18’ tall

• Evergreens

– of the spreading variety give spread measurement, not height measurement

– of the upright variety give height measurement

Hints for Buying Stock from a Nursery

Terms:

Specimen - healthy, well-shaped, better-than-

average plant

Caliber - approximate diameter of the trunk

Nursery Plants Come in one of the Four Following Ways

• Balled and Burlapped

• Bare-Root

• Packaged Bare-Root

• Containerhttp://www.pine-lodge.co.uk/nursery.htm

Balled and Burlapped

• Plants are dug with a ball of soil around the root system with a burlap wrapper placed around the ball

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/misc/tree_care/aib372-j.htm

Balled and Burlapped

• Evergreens must always be balled

• Deciduous must be balled when in leaf

• Plants from the woods are usually balled and burlapped

• Always carry the from underneath to keep it from cracking or breaking

Balled and Burlapped Procedure

• Dig a trench around the plant– standard ball size is

1/4 - 1/3 plant height

• Cut underneath the ball

• Roll ball onto piece of burlap; secure burlap with bailing nails and twine

http://www.nm.nrcs.usda.gov/ewp/treepltg.html

Bare-Root

• Plant is removed from the soil salvaging as much of the root as possible

• Biggest problem: roots can dry out in a matter of minutes and kill the plant

Bare-Root

• Cover roots with moist burlap, soil or sawdust to ensure the plant will survive

• Early spring and late fall are best times

• Deciduous plants can use this method when they are out of leaf

Packaged Bare-Root

• Has its root packed in moist sawdust, peat or bark and is wrapped in plastic. This reduces moisture loss.

• Be sure to remove plastic wrap when planting

Container

• Plants come in a pot or some other form of a container

• Many deciduous plants

and evergreens come in

containers

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ldbapp/bonsai/fig1-history.html

Containers

• Keep soil moist in container until stock is to be planted

• Carefully cut container open when planting stock

• Cut vertically with knife through soil and roots to prevent roots from growing in circular pattern

Prices of Plants will Vary

• Mail order plants seem cheep until postage, handling and freight charges are added in

• Plants may suffer damage from the shipping unless packaged properly which will cost you money!

PLANTING

• Best time to transplant bare-root plants is:

- Latter part of October or early November

- Fall, soil is warm and moisture is sufficient

- Spring moisture is sufficient, but soil is cold

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/mf402.pdf

PLANTING

• Hard-to-transplant ornamentals should be transplanted in spring to allow longest possible time for root establishment

• All plants do not do well under same soil conditions– Therefore soil tests should be taken

Obtaining Soil for Testing

• Take samples from several different areas of lawn

• Dig out a shovelful of soil about 9-12 inches deep

• Place a thin piece of soil on a piece of paper– After taking several samples throughout an area, mix

them up to get an overall soil test

Testing Soil Sample

• Soils can be analyzed by the county Cooperative Extension office

• Results will tell you what you need to do to improve the condition of your soil

PLANTING

• Dig a hole deep enough so that the roots do not need to be wound around the ball of the hole

• Hole should be 1-2 feet wider than the ball of a “balled” or containered plant

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/urbanforestry/plant_trees/planting_trees.htm

PLANTING

• Bare-root plants should have room for the roots to spread out full length

• Roots grow out to the side as well as down

• When removing plants from container, wet down the soil to prevent crumbling

• Balled and Burlapped plants:– Burlap must be loosened,

but should stay around the ball

– Burlap will rot away with time

• Always take plants out of metal container and plants should be taken out of paper containers

PLANTING

• Keep soil level the same on a plant as it was in the nursery

• Put loose soil in the bottom of the hole

• Manure or peat moss may be used in heavy soils


PLANTING

• Do not stamp soil to firmly

• Leave saucer of earth around edge of hole– This retains water to

allow it to soak in around the plant

• Plant first; then let water hose run slowly for about one to two hours

• Water helps remove any air pockets around the roots

AFTER PLANTING

• Manure, peat moss, etc., can be used to conserve moisture after transplanting

• Fertilizer can be added to a mulch of corn cobs, straw or sawdust to improve bacterial growth

MULCHING

• WHEN MULCH?– Mulch in spring or fall;

BUT, wait until soil is warm in spring

• WHY MULCH?– To conserve moisture

– Prevents runoff and retains moisture

• WHY MULCH?– Protects the soil from

drying due to sun and wind

– Maintains more even soil temperatures

– Provides some nutrients for plant

PRUNING

• One-fourth to one-third of the top branches should be pruned

– This helps compensate for root loss in transplanting

– DO NOT PRUNE the central leader

Transplanting Plants with Foliage

• They will loose their leaves– This does not mean

they are dead– New leaves will

develop later on

• Slight wilting is also common for the first week http://www.hometime.com/projects/howto/lawngrdn/pc2lgtpl.htm

PLANT SPACING• When a plant is bought, it will come with a spacing

guide with three numbers, such as:16’’ – 18’’ – 2’’

- (16’’) tells you how far from a foundation wall to plant the specimen

- (18’’) tells how far apart the plants should be spaced from each other

- (2’’) tells how far the plant should be planted from sidewalks or driveways

STAKING

• When replanted, plant roots are poorly anchored in the soil

• Roots need time to grow and secure plant

• Staking keeps plants straight and protects it from strong winds


STAKING

• Stakes are usually about 8 feet long wooden sticks

• Wire covered by garden hose is used to attach the stake to the tree– Uncovered wire will

damage plant

• If only one stake is used, it should be placed on side with prevailing winds

• Trees with a diameter of 2-4 inches should be double staked

WRAPPING TREES

• Protects them from sun, wind, and insects

• Use either burlap or special tree wrapping crepe or kraft paper

• First wrap large branches and move down the trunk

• Should be left on for two years and can be removed in the following spring

http://www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/extension/urbanforestry/treestemprotection.htm

WATERING

• Lack of watering during the plant’s first growing season is the major cause of unsatisfactory results of transplanting

• During the 1st growing season, water at a 5-7 day interval

• Water plant slowly and deeply

DEEP WATERING

• Watering plant to the bottom of the roots

• Encourages good root development– Watering only the

surface encourages shallow root development

• Use one or two gallons per square foot of root area

http://newdeal.feri.org/library/a91.htm

CITATIONS

• Pine Lodge Gardens. 2001. http://www.pine-lodge.co.uk/nursery.htm

• Doug Baker's Bonsai. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ldbapp/bonsai/fig1-history.html

• Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Improper Planting Injures Trees. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/misc/tree_care/aib372-j.htm

• Backyard Conservation. Tree Planting. http://www.nm.nrcs.usda.gov/ewp/treepltg.html

CITATIONS• Tom Kovach. Plant Your Trees in the Spring. http://www.vpop.net/~selfrel/articles/kovach61.html

• Mary K. Reynolds. Planting Trees in Designed and Built Community Landscapes. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/urbanforestry/plant_trees/planting_trees.htm

• Benjamin K. Cooper. Tree Stem Protection. December 7, 2000. http://www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/extension/urbanforestry/treestemprotection.htm

• Hometime Projects. Landscape and Garden: Transplanting Shrubs. 2000. http://www.hometime.com/projects/howto/lawngrdn/pc2lgtpl.htm