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Planting Or Transplanting A Tree

In planting or transplanting a tree, and in building on a lot
where you wish to preserve the trees, the gardener's chief
consideration must be to protect the root structure of the tree.
The big roots near the stem anchor the tree to the ground, while
the fine root hairs at the ends of the rootlets absorb the water
from the soil.

In planting trees, their mature height and spread must be
considered before a selection is made. Tempting as are the
nursery catalogs, it is necessary to choose carefully, especially
on the average lot, because crowding spoils the growth and
appearance of trees, particularly specimen trees.

In general, it is wisest and most economical to plant young
trees. Planting a mature tree is difficult and, if done
professionally, costly. If, however, a mature tree is badly
needed for a terrace or for screening, it may well justify the
expense. What you are buying is the time it takes a smaller tree
to mature.

Today you can plant trees when in full leaf with the aid of new
wilt-proof sprays that seal the leaves against moisture loss
until the roots are established. This, however, costs money and
entails greater risks than buying your tree and planting it in
early spring( the best time) or late fall or winter.

If you are planting a tree over 6 feet tall, it will suffer less
setback if moved with a bur-lapped root ball. The soil
preparation described in the previous chapter is helpful for most
tree and shrub planting. But since the root system must have
fertile soil when it is planted, special steps must be taken.

Dig a hole 2 feet deep and at least 1 foot wider each way than
the full spread of the roots. The bottom of the hole should be
broken up with a pitchfork and thoroughly mixed with peat, leaf
mold, loam, etc. Manure should be used sparingly and only on the
top of the hole as it burns the roots.

The deeper you can cultivate your hole, the better for your tree.
Once it is planted, you can cultivate around it but not under the
roots. If you strike a subsoil of building rubble or clay, which
you are very apt to find anywhere near a house and in which a
tree cannot grow, this subsoil must be removed and good soil, or
better still, garden humus, substituted for it.

If you are planting a seedling that is not balled and burlapped,
you will want to protect it by "heeling in" a vacant flower bed
where it may be kept before planting as long as dormant. This
means laying it on its side and covering the roots with good
soil. When you take it from the soil, give it a mud bath or
"puddle" it.

Puddling protects the roots from exposure to air before planting

and also from any air pockets which may exist after planting.
Having filled the hole to the depth required by the roots of the
plant, flood it with water to settle the soil at the bottom; when
this has drained away, place the tree in the position in which it
is to grow and settle the soil about it.

Use a stick or shovel handle to work the soil around the roots,
and make cer tain there are no air pockets. Spread the roots out
naturally, planting the tree at about the same depth as in the
nursery or its former location. When the hole is two-thirds full,
trample it down and again fill with water. Don't firm down the
remaining soil, so that the water will drain towards the trunk.

A balled-and-burlapped tree is one dug with a solid ball of rich,
heavy loam in which it has been growing in the nursery for years,
its root system thus amply covered and protected. The ball is
firmed and held in place by a secure covering of twine and
burlap.

To plant it, set the tree in a hole a trifle lower than it stood
in the nursery. Work the soil beneath this depth, as directed
above. Dig the hole about twice the size of your ball and plant
at once. If the ground is dry at planting time, fill the hole
with water and let it soak away before planting.

Cut the burlap at the top when you put the ball in place, rolling
it back 3 or 4 inches. Plant ball, burlap and all—the burlap will
soon rot away. If you are planting a big tree, it is transported
in a truck, lowered to the ground by winches, rolled along a
plank track on rollers and maneuvered into the exact center of
the hole on a single board.

A holding rope from the truck to the base of the tree trunk helps
to position the tree. After the tree is planted, cutting back is
proper. Cut back sharply at least one-third, pruning the
branches. It is necessary to brace the tree with wire ropes so
that the roots will not be broken by the wind.

Use a single wire around the trunk and three guy wires. For the
first year after planting, the more cultivation the better Keep
weeds away, too, with straw or mulch, and strawy manure mulch in
the spring and fall will help keep the moisture in the ground.

About the Author

Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and
webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing access to their
nursery supplier for a range of quality plants, trees, bushes,
shrubs, seeds and garden products.Visit their trees section
to find a great selection of trees for your garden

Written by: Paul Curran