EducationEducation is a large part of what we do! If you have a group (adults or children) who would like to hear more on a conservation subject contact us to set up a date and time! The following page highlights a conservation or nature related topic we feel the need to share!
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Tree Planting and Maintenance
Planting trees can be a rewarding experience, but many don't realize it is more than just digging a hole and throwing the tree in it. Planting a tree takes planning and maintenance over several years to ensure the tree lives a long, healthy life. Having a healthy tree in your landscape provides numerous benefits! Being able to see a tree outside your window has shown to improve moods. If it is a shade tree then the shade it provides when grown can help cool your house or give you a nice place to sit outside in the summer time. Some trees work hard to bring in excess water, so if you have an area that floods a tree might be your answer. Of course it is no secret trees also help our air quality and convert carbon dioxide into our life-giving oxygen! Having a mature tree on your property can even increase your home value which can be huge if you know you are going to sell your home in the future. With so many benefits it is a wonder more people aren't planting trees where they can!
Researching your site, soil type, and tree types to determine what will be the best match for your location is the first step. Knowing your potential site is important because it will dictate what tree will grow best there! Some trees can tolerate shade while other can't. Some do best in sandy soils while other prefer clay. Some trees can tolerate a high water table or an area that floods while other cannot. Determining these factors will help you decide what tree is going to be best for you and, therefore, provide the most benefits to you and the wildlife. Once you know what the area is like you can start deciding what tree you want. Pick qualities that are most important to you such as growth rate, size, life expectancy, wildlife value, susceptibility to disease, etc. We will of course recommend you plant a native tree whenever possible. They are well adapted to our climate and can provide the most benefits to our native wildlife including pollinators. If a native isn't fulfilling your needs then please make sure the tree you are looking at isn't an invasive or a cultivar of an invasive! Check here to see a list of invasive plant species found in Indiana. A recent rule has made many of these illegal to sell, trade, or gift so please be aware of what plants you might be spreading! Note you may want to go ahead and have the utilities marked so you can choose the proper site prior to digging. You will also want to take into consideration the trees root spread and how that will impact your sewage lines or septic area!
Timing is also important for planting a tree! It is actually best to plant a tree during the dormant season which is why we have our tree sale in the fall! When trees are going into dormancy they are focusing on root growth as opposed to top growth. This is important when transplanting because it will allow them to get their roots established prior to the next growing season. Therefore the best times to plant are in the fall or very early spring.
Alright, so we have the best tree for the site we want to plant it in, utilities have been marked, and the time is here! When digging the hole you want to make sure it is broader than the root ball, even three times as wide as what is needed. Loosening the surrounding soil will help the roots spread out so they can establish quickly. Oftentimes soil can be compacted where we are wanting to plant trees so making sure the tree has good loose soil to move into will allow it to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. As for depth you want to make sure the tree can be placed up to the trunk flare--where the trunk widens and the roots begin to spread. The base of the trunk flare needs to be level with the ground or else the roots will be too deep to reach the appropriate nutrients needed. Remove the tree from its container unless it is balled and burlapped. You may also want to loosen the roots if they are packed firmly together from their container. Set the tree into the hole and be sure it is straight before filling the hole, you may need someone to hold it straight! Fill the hole about a third of the way up the root ball and pack it down gently but firmly. At this point if the roots were balled and burlapped remove the string or wire from the trunk and top third of the root ball. Continue to fill the hole and pack it gently as you go, this is to prevent the roots from drying out due to air pockets. You can also add a few inches of soil and then use water to settle the soil down.
Tree care does not stop after the hole is filled! In some cases staking may be necessary, especially if lawn mower damage, high winds, or vandalism are concerns. However, if a tree was grown and dug properly at the nursery it will likely be fine without using stakes for support and may even grow stronger without the supports. If staking is needed use two stakes on opposite sides of the tree with a wide, flexible material tied to the tree and stakes. Remove the stakes after a year of growth. We also recommend putting a layer of mulch down around the tree after planting. Mulch can be any organic material such as leaf litter, pine needles, or wood chips. Mulch helps hold in moisture and moderates the temperature to help the tree acclimate to its new home. Be sure to keep the mulch layer less than 4 inches thick because if it is too thick oxygen and moisture levels can be impacted. Also avoid putting the mulch into direct contact with the truck as this can cause the bark to begin decaying. Leave an inch or two of mulch free space immediately around the trunk.
Newly planted trees will need to be watered properly for at least a year after planting. The soil needs to be kept moist so imitating an inch of rain a week would be ideal. If it rains an inch one week then there is no need to water the tree for that week. Over watering a plant is possible, remember some trees cannot tolerate too much water. When it is hotter or there is a drought more frequent watering may be needed to keep the soil moist for the tree. Once the tree is well established it should do fine on its own without extra watering.
Pruning should wait until the tree has had a full year to grow unless there were damaged branches from the transplanting. For more information on properly pruning a tree see this article from Purdue Extension: extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-506-W.pdf
Resources:
https://www.treesaregood.org/treeowner/plantingatree
Researching your site, soil type, and tree types to determine what will be the best match for your location is the first step. Knowing your potential site is important because it will dictate what tree will grow best there! Some trees can tolerate shade while other can't. Some do best in sandy soils while other prefer clay. Some trees can tolerate a high water table or an area that floods while other cannot. Determining these factors will help you decide what tree is going to be best for you and, therefore, provide the most benefits to you and the wildlife. Once you know what the area is like you can start deciding what tree you want. Pick qualities that are most important to you such as growth rate, size, life expectancy, wildlife value, susceptibility to disease, etc. We will of course recommend you plant a native tree whenever possible. They are well adapted to our climate and can provide the most benefits to our native wildlife including pollinators. If a native isn't fulfilling your needs then please make sure the tree you are looking at isn't an invasive or a cultivar of an invasive! Check here to see a list of invasive plant species found in Indiana. A recent rule has made many of these illegal to sell, trade, or gift so please be aware of what plants you might be spreading! Note you may want to go ahead and have the utilities marked so you can choose the proper site prior to digging. You will also want to take into consideration the trees root spread and how that will impact your sewage lines or septic area!
Timing is also important for planting a tree! It is actually best to plant a tree during the dormant season which is why we have our tree sale in the fall! When trees are going into dormancy they are focusing on root growth as opposed to top growth. This is important when transplanting because it will allow them to get their roots established prior to the next growing season. Therefore the best times to plant are in the fall or very early spring.
Alright, so we have the best tree for the site we want to plant it in, utilities have been marked, and the time is here! When digging the hole you want to make sure it is broader than the root ball, even three times as wide as what is needed. Loosening the surrounding soil will help the roots spread out so they can establish quickly. Oftentimes soil can be compacted where we are wanting to plant trees so making sure the tree has good loose soil to move into will allow it to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. As for depth you want to make sure the tree can be placed up to the trunk flare--where the trunk widens and the roots begin to spread. The base of the trunk flare needs to be level with the ground or else the roots will be too deep to reach the appropriate nutrients needed. Remove the tree from its container unless it is balled and burlapped. You may also want to loosen the roots if they are packed firmly together from their container. Set the tree into the hole and be sure it is straight before filling the hole, you may need someone to hold it straight! Fill the hole about a third of the way up the root ball and pack it down gently but firmly. At this point if the roots were balled and burlapped remove the string or wire from the trunk and top third of the root ball. Continue to fill the hole and pack it gently as you go, this is to prevent the roots from drying out due to air pockets. You can also add a few inches of soil and then use water to settle the soil down.
Tree care does not stop after the hole is filled! In some cases staking may be necessary, especially if lawn mower damage, high winds, or vandalism are concerns. However, if a tree was grown and dug properly at the nursery it will likely be fine without using stakes for support and may even grow stronger without the supports. If staking is needed use two stakes on opposite sides of the tree with a wide, flexible material tied to the tree and stakes. Remove the stakes after a year of growth. We also recommend putting a layer of mulch down around the tree after planting. Mulch can be any organic material such as leaf litter, pine needles, or wood chips. Mulch helps hold in moisture and moderates the temperature to help the tree acclimate to its new home. Be sure to keep the mulch layer less than 4 inches thick because if it is too thick oxygen and moisture levels can be impacted. Also avoid putting the mulch into direct contact with the truck as this can cause the bark to begin decaying. Leave an inch or two of mulch free space immediately around the trunk.
Newly planted trees will need to be watered properly for at least a year after planting. The soil needs to be kept moist so imitating an inch of rain a week would be ideal. If it rains an inch one week then there is no need to water the tree for that week. Over watering a plant is possible, remember some trees cannot tolerate too much water. When it is hotter or there is a drought more frequent watering may be needed to keep the soil moist for the tree. Once the tree is well established it should do fine on its own without extra watering.
Pruning should wait until the tree has had a full year to grow unless there were damaged branches from the transplanting. For more information on properly pruning a tree see this article from Purdue Extension: extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-506-W.pdf
Resources:
https://www.treesaregood.org/treeowner/plantingatree
