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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us December 29, 2005 How to plant a tree, the right way The Ashland Tree Commission This autumn, the citizens of Ashland completed the annual Tree of the Year selection process by nominating and voting in record numbers. They chose the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) located at 165 Almond Street as the 2005 Tree of the Year. This fun and educational process of nominating and voting for some of Ashland’s finest trees is one of many ways our community expresses its appreciation for trees in general and for one special tree that, for whatever personal reasons, is beautiful and significant to us. Tree commissioner Ted Loftus carefully removes a tree from its plastic container. Fred Stockwell | For the Tidings Perhaps, when we wonder how small trees grow to be so large, healthy and magnificent, we should turn our attention to the correct techniques and methods of planting trees. What are sound, scientific practices for planting young trees so that they reach their fullest, healthy size and might one day be nominated as a candidate for Tree of the Year? A seemingly simple concept – planting a tree – turns out to be complex, with evolving science and differing opinions. Explaining the fundamentals of selection and planting is the subject of this month’s Tree Tip. Proper tree planting begins with consideration of what benefits you want a tree to provide. Do you want it to help shield your house from the sun to promote energy conservation? Do you want it to create privacy by providing visual buffering and noise screening? Are you looking for a distinctive tree to be the centerpiece and focal point of your home’s entryway? Are there utility lines or street and sidewalk clearance considerations for where you want to plant? Giving careful thought to your goals for planting your trees will help you determine what species will best match your specific landscape. Remember, it’s always a good aim to plant the right tree in the right place! After you’ve completed planning and thinking about which trees might best match your needs, here’s a checklist of what to look for when choosing your tree and suggestions for how to plant it when you get home. A) First, as stated above, take the time to do your homework, consider the specific requirements of your site (such factors as irrigation, slope, seasonal sunlight, etc.) and, ultimately, select the right tree for your needs. B) At the nursery (or with advice from a tree professional), select a healthy young tree; pick out the best specimen. Trees of two- to four- inch caliper (i.e. diameter) are common on most nursery lots. Look for young trees with some root flare (where the trunk flares out into the ground at its base) with the understanding that some species display no root flare when young. Pick a tree with a canopy that reveals good branch formation (limbs with 45 degree angles off the trunk) and with no crossing branches nor any branches too close together. Check the growing container to see that the original rootball (located at the tree’s base) is level and just above the planting hole and that it has not been buried with new container soil. C) Next step is to dig the hole. Reserve the “native” soil because you will use it when you plant. Trees are sold either in plastic containers or with the rootball wrapped in burlap. Regardless of this, when preparing the planting hole, make it two to three times the width of the rootball, but no deeper! It is better to err on the side of a hole that is too shallow than one too deep, since many arborists have verified that trees planted too deeply often do not survive. To test whether your depth is right, check to see if the root flare shows above the soil line (see photo 2). D) If the tree is in a container, carefully pull the tree out of its container and if possible, gently straighten any roots that appear to be circling around the rootball (as in photo 1). If instead the tree comes with its rootball wrapped in burlap, you will have several options because opinions vary among tree professionals whether it is best to leave the burlap on, or to partially or completely remove it. Depending on the tree’s propagation, early life, geographic location, soil, growing techniques, and many other factors, it is true that some young tree rootballs will not survive if the burlap is removed. This has led to the common practice of leaving the burlap in place, although convincing evidence alternatively now suggests that removing some or all of the burlap is best, especially when the rootball is surrounded with healthy soil and has a robust root system. Ask at the nursery or talk with your friendly arborist to learn what they recommend. You can remove all the burlap before placing the tree in its prepared hole. Or, once the tree is in its hole, you can cut all of the twine and peel back the top edges of burlap far enough so that they will be buried once the hole is filled. E) Backfill the hole with at least 75% of your “native” dirt and 25% compost material if you want. Compost helps the soil develop the nutrients necessary for the roots to begin making their own nitrogen. Water the soil into compaction rather than stomping on the soil around the tree’s trunk -- this puts less pressure on the tree’s tender roots (see photo 3). When the tree settles into the planting hole, it should still be at or just above the level of the surrounding terrain. Use your shovel (as in the photos) and your eye to make sure the tree is level so that it has an opportunity to grow as vertically as possible. F) Mulch with compost, wood chips or bark in a four to five foot diameter around your tree, two to three inches deep, but don’t mulch within about a foot of the trunk. G) If at all possible, don’t stake your tree, even though it is a common practice. If wind, animals or other factors prevent your tree from remaining upright without stakes, then put two stout stakes into the ground opposite each other and secure them to your tree with something soft like a section of old garden hose with wire through it or a section of old pantyhose. Properly staked, your tree should still be able to move a little, which is critical in stimulating its root system to develop. Check after one year and if your tree feels anchored, remove the stakes. If you decide to continue with the stakes in place, loosen everything to allow for growth and, in any case, remove them no later than the end of the second year. As you can see, an apparently simple subject truly has many dimensions to understand. If you have specific questions about tree selection or planting techniques, Tree Commissioners will do their best to answer them. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to the Ashland Tree Commission, Community Development Building, 51 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR 97520. 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