Guide to Tree Planting

TREE PLANTING AND CONSERVATION PLAN
Guide to Tree Planting

It is a good idea to begin by drawing a plan of your property with dimensions in order to determine the area available for planting. It is beneficial to plan in stages, beginning near the home and extending your gardens each year. Trees should not be planted where their branches will interfere with overhead wires, or overshadow or block windows. Trees should also not be planted where their roots will damage foundations, driveways, or sidewalks. Roots of willows and poplars spread to find water and are inclined to clog water and sewer pipes.

By using native species, you will increase the probability of success and decrease the amount of time and maintenance that your trees will require. Native species require less watering and can sustain periods of drought. They are also more prepared to combat pests, and therefore reduce the need for pesticide use.

The standard planting time is usually during the fall after the leaves have fallen or in early spring before the buds appear. This is a period of cool weather which allows the tree to situate their roots before the spring rains and summer heat activate new growth. Ash, birch, elm, poplar, and willow trees are better planted in the spring. Conifers can be planted early in the spring up until four weeks after the first bloom of deciduous trees. Alternatively, conifers can be planted in the fall, from the first week of August to the last week of October.

When handling seedlings, it is important not to allow the seedling to dry out and to transport them carefully, avoiding temperature extremes. Seedlings should be planted promptly and the roots should not be trimmed or pruned. The gel applied to the seedling roots is there for its protection and to assist in adapting to its new location. Seedlings should be planted deeply into the soil to give greater exposure and more water content. Seedlings, which have been frozen in the pack, should not be planted because the freezing has caused irreversible damage to the root system.

When planting your tree, you should dig a hole at least twice the size of the root ball of the tree, planted on existing soil level. If using a plastic pot, remove the container without disturbing the root system and fill the remainder of the hole with rich soil. If using a burlap or wire basket, place the ball at the bottom of the hole and fill with rich soil. Untie the burlap and spread it out without removing it. In the case of a wire basket, bend it away from the tree. When using a fibre pot, cut away the bottom of the pot and put the tree and remainder of the pot in the bottom of the hole. Slit the side of the pot from top to bottom and finish filling the hole. The remainder of the pot will rot away in time.

MAINTAINING YOUR TREES

To reduce the amount of time you spend on maintaining your trees, it is important to choose a species native to your area. Generally, conifers have an improved chance of survival and require less maintenance than deciduous trees. In the first few years after planting, seedlings need watering, weeding and rodent control, as well as staking. If mulch is developed under the tree, more rainfall will be kept.

If the soil is sandy and allows water to drain easily, you may need to soak the tree twice a week for the first three months and weekly thereafter for the first year. Peat moss and sandy soil mixtures at the time of planting would help in water retention. During the tree’s second year, the tree should be watered twice monthly during spring and summer. If the soil contains clay, you may want to provide lighter watering to avoid flooding. For conifers, extra watering before winter will help protect the tree from drying.

Staking is suggested for trees that are taller than one meter; only when the tree is unstable, to prevent it from being dislodged. It is important to ensure that the stake ties do not damage the bark and that the stakes are removed after two or three growing seasons.

Deciduous trees should be pruned in the late fall or early spring, for structure, removal of dead or crossing branches, while they are dormant, with the exceptions of birch and maple, which require pruning when the leaves are full grown. Conifers are pruned to increase density and direct new growth. Spruce and firs must be pruned in late spring after the new growth has started.


>> Related Links to continue reading about Tree Planting and Conservation Plan:

      ARBORPLAN CONSULTANTS
      Arborists
      923 Beauclaire Drive
      Ottawa, Ontario K1C 2J5







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