Things To Know About Planting And Transplanting Trees | Gardening

By AndrewKelly
Total views: 6
Word Count: 621

Virtually any garden can be improved by the addition of trees. They are such wonderful plants and, although they can sometimes be a little expensive, they can often outlive a few generations of your family. However to ensure this happens you need to give them a good start and then look after them well. The hints and tips below, about planting and transplanting trees should put you firmly on the road to success.

One thing that can make a massive difference when planting or transplanting trees is how you protect the roots. As well as the larger roots being important for holding the tree in place the finer, fibrous, roots are those that extract all of the water and nutrients, that trees need, from the surrounding soil. Obviously you will need to minimize, or avoid completely, any damage to the roots.

One thing that is, surprisingly, often overlooked by gardeners is the size which a chosen tree can frow to when it reaches maturity. There are a great many different species of trees and most have different heights and spreads when fully mature. Even if a tree looks perfect in the nursery catalog you should always find out how big it can grow and ensure that it will always be a reasonable size for your garden.

Science is great, especially for the gardener, and today it is possible to buy any number of products to help us when planting and transplanting trees. Possibly the two most important, an incredible, are those products designed to reduce leaf drop and/or wilt. The other is the amazing formulae that are usually available in gel or powder form that are designed to help the trees roots grow quickly.

When buying trees it is very important that you inspect the roots to ensure that they are free from disease and are healthy. Always try to get one with a large root ball. By using the products mentioned above you can vastly improve the chances of your tree surviving by minimizing the amount of fluid loss (wilt-proof spray) and ensuring that the roots become established quickly (rooting hormone) and thus able to extract vital moisture and nutrients as early as possible.

Trees do not like being out of the ground for too long so it is important that you are fully prepared before you start to plant or transplant them. Trees need plenty of water during their growing period but also when they are being planted. Therefore collect plenty of rainwater at the earliest opportunity. Although rainwater is best you can use ordinary tap water but it should be left in buckets for a few hours before use as this will allow all the chlorine present to evaporate.

Finally you can get your hands dirty. Dig a hole about one foot wider, in all direction, than the root ball. Loosen the ground at the bottom with a pitchfork and mix in some well rotted organic matter such as peat. You can also add a little bone meal but mix it in well. Fresh manure can be used at a pinch but, because it could burn the roots as it rots, it is very important that you only use a small amount and, again, mix it in well.

Now for the final steps. Flood the hole and let all the water drain away and you are ready to add your tree. Place the tree in the middle of the hole and fill it, roughly, two thirds full with good quality loam. Flood it and allow it to drain once more and then top up with more soil. Check with a trowel to make sure there are no air pockets and that it done. By following the instructions here your trees will soon be growing nicely.

About the Author

If you would like to discover more about tree please visit landscaping trees you may also be interested in our new gardening blog.

You are here Articles > Home > Gardening