Hi, I am Dan Miller senior editor with Progressive Farmer Magazine. Today, we are going to show you how to plants and trees. Planting trees are an easy way to improve the value of your property. Over the next few minutes, we are going to show you how to plant trees the right way. It is more than just digging a hole but before we get started, we suggest that you talk to your local nursery for tips and the best trees for your area.
The shade trees that we are going to be planting are October glory maples; the 15 feet tall and they have sizable wreath falls. To get this craze on the ground, we are also going to use a soil conditioner, a slow release fertilizer and pine straw.
The tools that we have used are Murdock out in the country we call the pickaxe, a shovel, hand corners, and a rake. Okay, let us get started, the first thing that you want to do is to think about location. Where you plant your trees is an important decision. Avoid power, phone, gas, or septic lines. Is the site sunny or shady? Is there a source of water in your body? Consider the soil, heavy clay that holds water, and inhibits the movement of water down through the soil. That can affect tree and re-growth. Sandy soil does not retain water well. Trees planted in sandy soil need more water.
Here on our property, we have a gas line near by so we have marked it. We also have horses in the Pasteur behind us you want to keep the trees away from them. We are planting the trees in a triangular formation it gives the great appearance of a growth of trees. Also, one of the trees dies; you will not notice the gap as much as you would have if you were to plant them in a straight line. Each tree has about 15 feet to 20 feet away from each other.
When you are buying a tree, here are some things to think about ahead a time. How big a tree do you want? What shape? Do you want one that bears fruit? And, what is the color in the fall?
October glory maples are great fall trees they have scarlet red leaves. This is also a pretty fast growing tree and it reaches 50 to 60 feet in height. There are two concerns in maples, however, because of their shallow roots. First they compete with other plants for moisture and secondly they tend to crack pavement and gravel dries. You want a tree with a large root bulb. Root bulb adds stability to the tree. It also allows the tree to take in all the water and nutrients that it needs. Of course, a large bulb creates one dilemma. You have to dig a whole the size of a hot tub. Seriously, you do want to have a hole, three times the width of the root bulb, here that is six feet wide.
To give our trees the best start, we are adding soil conditioner. The ideas is to add organic matter, here we are using shredded bark. We are also adding two cups of those triple 14 fertilizers to each tree and mix it all up well.
We are almost ready to plant this tree now but before you do that, you are going to measure the height of the root bulb. The reason for you to do that is you never want the tree to be lower than the level of the ground. In fact, you want the tree three to four inches above the ground because the tree will settle overtime.
So, I have the tree into the hole; do not drop it because that will crash the roots. Position the good side of the tree to the most visible side and make sure that it is straight. And, do not forget to remove the burlap around the root bulb. Now, you are going to want a back fell around the tree kept the soil down but do not pack it with your boot. And then last, you want to build a circular damn around the root bulb, this helps direct water to the tree when it rains.
There is one more step is to put mulches on your tree, it reduces evaporation and slows weed growth. We are using four inches pine straw here, but check with your nursery for the best mulch for your area. Never put the mulch onto the trunk itself, this will keep moisture right against the trunk deflecting the health review trade.
Watering can is tricky, if the leaves are wilted first thing in the morning that means the trees is under water but a little bit of wilting in the afternoon is okay. When the tree is first plant it is best to give it a long drink. Another concern is over watering, the best way to check for moisture is to feel. Put your fingers under the ground to check and if the leaves are drooping and the soil is wet, you are over watering.
We are all done now, it is time to stand back and watch your trees grow. Planting trees is a great family project as a matter of fact my daughter and I have planted many. We think it is a good way to leave our mark on the future.
We think you will get a sense of pride planting your own trees too. For more information about this project and others just go to Progressive Farmers website that is www.progressivefarmer.com and go to projects that you can do.
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