Important Facts About Planting And Transplanting Trees

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Important Facts About Planting And Transplanting Trees

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Written by Andrew Kelly

Saturday, 22 March 2008

by AndrewKelly

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.

The roots of trees play two incredibly important roles. Firstly the larger thicker roots ensure that it stays in place and, secondly, the smaller fibrous roots are those that provide all the water and nutrients (extracted from the soil around it) that trees need to grow well. It is therefore immensely important that you take great care not to damage any of the roots while planting or transplanting a tree.

Trees always look fantastic in the nursery catalogs and many gardeners jump right in and buy a tree on looks alone. However you should always check how big that that species can grow. There are many types of trees of various heights and with different amounts of spread. You should always by a tree that will never grow too big for your garden.

Although it is perfectly possible to plant or transplant trees without them there are a number of products on the market that make the job far less risky. It is possible to purchase a special wilt-proof spray which is sprayed on the leaves to stop them from wilting and vastly, if not completely, halts leaf drop. Another highly useful item is the gel or powder that you can get that encourages the growth of roots.

The products mentioned above work great at reducing moisture loss and ensuring that trees are able to fend for themselves as quickly as possible. However all your efforts could be wasted if you do not take the time to inspect trees closely before you buy them. Make sure that there is a large root ball and that it is strong, healthy and free from disease. Other signs of disease could show up in the leaves so take a close look (if there are any as it is best to transplant trees while they are dormant).

When planting and transplanting trees it is important that you minimize stress. You should ensure that you have absolutely everything you will need is close by so that your trees are planted as quickly as possible. Some things need to be sorted well in advance of the task. One of these things is the need for plenty of clean water. This should really be rainwater but if you are unable to collect sufficient you can use tap water which has been allowed to stand for at least an hour to ensure any chlorine has completely evaporated away.

We are finally reaching the stage where we can start to dig our hole. The hole should be sufficiently large for a gap of 1 foot around the the roots. Using a pitchfork loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole and mix in some peat or other, well rotted, organic matter and a little bone meal. If the material has not completely rotted, such as manure, make sure you only use a very small amount because as it rots further it can easily damage, or even burn the roots, of your tree.

Pour a large amount of water into the hole and allow it to drain away so that there are no puddles. Put the tree into the hole and fill to about two thirds of the way with soil which should be firmed slightly and flooded. When it has drained fill the rest of the hole making sure that there are no air pockets and that's you done. All your hard work will be rewarded when, in a couple of weeks, your trees begin to grow vigorously.

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