Terry's Gardening Tips
How to keep our urban forest healthy and vibrant
How can we work together to maintain and develop our urban forest? Simply put it is by planting and caring for our trees!
People inquire from time to time when is the best time to plant a new tree? The answer is that trees can be successfully planted at almost any time of the year when you find trees for sale if you are prepared to provide regular care for the new tree until it has the time to develop and extensive root network. That care period may take as long as five years.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you can’t plant trees in hot dry weather. If you decide to plant during these hot and dry conditions make sure that you select a tree that has been well cared for at the nursery or garden center and then develop a plan for its continuing care.
Trees require special care during their first five years as they will change and grow rapidly but only if they are properly cared for. Making regular care a priority will go a long way in having a healthy tree that is a wonderful addition to your landscape and the City’s urban forest.
- Provide the proper amount of water. Too little - or too much water can both be extremely damaging. An irrigation system or a low cost soaker hose with a water timer can help maintain a regular schedule of watering.
- Plant the tree in an appropriate location.
- Protect the trees root system. Care should be taken to avoid piling excessive amounts of soil on top of the tree’s buttress roots and root collar. Don’t bury the top of a newly planted tree as the roots need moisture and oxygen. Piling soil on top of the root ball will only cause problems. In our typically heavy clay soils, it is advisable to plant the tree so the root ball of the tree is 1 to 2 inches higher than the surrounding ground and then sloping soil by grading soil toward the top of the root ball without covering it with large amounts of additional soil.
- Complete a soil analysis so you may fertilize appropriately. A soil analysis will provide information about what deficiencies may exist in the soil and what nutrients may be required for sustained tree health and growth. Trees that were purchased as nursery stock are typically fertilized and will not require any soil amendments during the first year. Plan on doing a soil analysis beginning at the start of the next growing season so that you can determine if additional fertilization or soil amendments may be needed.
- Use mulch wisely. A layer of mulch 2-3 inches will conserve moisture and add beneficial organic matter to the soil. It will also help protect the young tree from lawn mower or string trimmer damage. One important reminder is to not place the mulch against the trunk of the tree.
- Prune selectively. Proper pruning, by a certified arborist or one that is familiar with proper pruning techniques will encourage a healthy branch structure in your young tree.
- Inspect for insects and diseases. Regular inspections can reveal pest and disease problems so they may be addressed before causing significant damage or even death of young trees. Some pests or diseases are difficult to detect so you may want to consider utilizing the services of a trained arborist or tree professional to evaluate your trees.
- If deer are frequent visitors in your lawn or landscape consider the use of a deer guard from mid August thru the New Year to protect the young trees bark from rutting. When in rut deer can cause significant damage to the bark of a young tree.
While trees do require more frequent care during their early years following planting the benefits of a well planned maintenance program will pay dividends for you as well as future generations.
If you would like more information on how to conduct a soil analysis you may contact the Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District at (513) 772-7645 or see their website at www.hcswcd.org
Soil testing boxes and instructions can be obtained from their office for $10.00/box
Certified arborists can be found through reputable tree companies in the phone book or contacting the International Society of Arboriculture at (217) 355-9411 or internet: www.isa-arbor.com