Poor Man Survival
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A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
How and When to Plant a Tree?
Since we started working on our mini-farm we’ve planted a variety of fruit trees, both miniature and full sized. Only one has thrived…that represents a lot of wasted money and effort. Perhaps the following will help you avoid the errors I have made. I should have contacted our local County Extension Office first! The information they offer is free!
The USDA
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service maintains a page
of links to Web sites of the land grant universities. On the map, click on
your state or territory. From the links on the resulting page, choose the one
with "Cooperative Extension" or "Agricultural Extension" in
the name. Then look for a link to "county office" or "local
offices."
Spring, or fall? It turns our there's
more than one right time for planting, but there's only one right way to do it
People always ask me, “When’s the best time
to plant a tree?” For as long as I can remember, I’ve answered without needing
a second to think: in the fall. That gives the tree a chance to acclimate to
its surroundings, I tell them, before the stress of summer comes on. I’ve known
this since boyhood.
“Then
why do garden centers always have an acre of great-looking trees out in the
spring?” a colleague asked me recently. I thought for a second. It was true.
“Because they want to sell you stuff,” I
said.
"At those big retailers, you usually get the best quality material in the spring.”
At his insistence—and to prove myself right—I
dialed three tree experts for corroboration. It took only one call to prove me
wrong. Carrie Hennessy, a horticulturist at Johnson’s Nursery, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, at first had me thinking
she was on my side. “Fall is a great time to plant.”
Ha.
Then: “But at those big retailers, you
usually get the best quality material in the spring.”
Oh.
Maybe it was a Midwestern thing. So I called
two more experts, Joey Barton, a second-generation plantsman at Barton Nurseries in Edison, New Jersey, and Sarah Elvington at the Plant Oregon nursery in Talent, Oregon. To rub potting soil in the
wound, they told me the spring months gave trees plenty of time to prepare for
summer.
1. Assess Your Yard
Start by sending a
soil sample to the nearest Land-Grant University extension office—every state
has one. For about $20 to $40, they will tell you the nitrogen, phosphorus,
potassium, pH, and organic material levels so you’ll know if your ground needs
soil amendments when you plant.
While you’re
waiting for the results, check the soil depth in your potential planting area,
says Jim Barborinas, an International Society of Arboriculture certified
arborist who runs Urban Forestry Services in Mount Vernon, Washington. “Dig at
least two feet down, or use a soil probe, looking for clay and backfill.” Yards
in urban spaces, he warns, are often filled with gravel that will need to be
replaced. You can also alleviate clay soil, says Hennessy, by backfilling
around the root ball with a mix of one part compost to two parts existing soil.
2. Research and Shop
Your ideal tree species depends on soil,
climate, sun exposure, and space. To narrow your choices, visit the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Wizard tool for a list of matches. When
considering size and growth, your tree should still fit comfortably in the
available space 25 years from now, says Barborinas. “And when you’re browsing
trees, look for a good single leader, well-spaced lateral limbs, fat healthy
buds, and no physical damage.”
3. Prep and Plant
Measure the
diameter of the root ball, then rototill a circle that measures five times the
diameter across (see opposite). That will give your roots more space to grow.
With a round-point shovel, dig a dish-shaped hole that’s twice the diameter of
the root ball and deep enough that only the tree’s root flare will be
aboveground. If the root ball is covered with burlap, that can be left in the
hole after it’s unwrapped.
Step
1: Rototill a
circular area five times the diameter of the root ball.
Step
2: Dig a
saucer-shaped hole in this rototilled area slightly less or equal to the root
ball’s height and twice its diameter.
Step
3: Place the
sapling gently in the planting hole after removing any plastic or wire from the
root ball.
Step
4: Check that the
tree is plumb, and gently backfill, compact the soil, and water the tree.
Step
5: Spread two to
three inches of mulch over the planting hole. Leave the root flare, where roots
meet the stem, exposed.
Step
6: The soil should
feel moist but not muddy. Add water as needed.
Dial 811
When digging in
front or side yards or near the street, dial 811 at least three days before
planting. This allows utility marking crews sufficient time to visit the site
and mark utility locations.
How to Water a Tree
One of the most
common mistakes we see is that people overwater, says Barton. “It’s not unusual
to dig out a dead plant and find a puddle of water in the bottom of the
planting hole.”
To avoid drowning
a new tree, Barborinas prescribes watering it based on its size. Set your
garden hose to a trickle and place it over the root ball. Let it run ten
minutes for every inch of the trunk’s diameter. (Two inches across means 20
minutes.) Or for conifers, he says, give the tree two minutes for every foot of
height.
Begin watering
weekly, and then adjust for the soil. Clay soil traps water, requiring less
work on your part, while loose and sandy soils drain fast. A simple test to
tell if your tree is getting enough water, says Barton, is to stick your finger
in the planting hole and wiggle it around. It should be moist, not wet or dry.
Bruce, the Poor Man, free thinker, social critic & cynic
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1 comment:
No green thumb here either my friend but the county extension offices you mention are excellent resources.
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