Organic Gardener

Tree Planting Season

Author: Pat Leuchtman

Fall is the second planting season of the year. After enduring a summer with insufficient shade you may be thinking of planting a tree. The first decision is to choose a tree that is suitable for your local climate.

Eric Seaborn, Program Coordinator of the Urban and Community Forestry Program which operates under the Department of Conservation and Recreation here in Massachusetts gave me advice about tree planting. He said the biggest mistake people make is planting the tree too deeply. He says if you buy a tree with a wrapped root ball it is essential to tear away the burlap and remove any wiring, as well as some of the soil to find the root flare and plant the tree at that depth.

If the soil is really poor enrich the removed soil with compost as you replace it. Water deeply and keep it watered throughout its first year.

Staking a newly planted tree is advisable, especially if the location is windy. Two or three firm stakes will do the job. Never use wire that will cut into the tender bark. One common method is to thread wire through lengths of hose. Make sure to allow for some movement of the tree. Stakes should be removed after one year.

Finally the tree can be mulched. Mulch should not be deep. Two to four inches is sufficient. Mulch controls weeds, conserves moisture, provides nutrients to the soil as it breaks down and protects the tree from damage by lawn mowers and string trimmers. Mounding deep mulch up around the trunk is a danger to the tree's health. It will suffocate surface roots, reduce infiltration of water and makes a happy home for rodents who will feed on the outer bark and kill the tree.

"When the trunk is buried under a 'mulch volcano' it may send out shoots or even fine roots that are of no use to the tree. The roots and the collar of the tree are its most sensitive areas, yet people pay little attention to them," Seaborn said.

Landscapers can also make errors. If you use a landscaper watch his practices. Mulch should never touch the tree trunk. It should be spread out around the tree, not up the tree, and never touch the tree.

A tree is an investment. Proper planting will return decades of beauty and shade.

Help us to spread the word:

Pat Leuchtman

Pat has been gardening for 40 years and writing about gardens and gardeners almost as long. Her weekly column, Between the Rows, has been carried in The Recorder (Greenfield, Mass) since 1981.
Read more about Pat.

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