Time to plant trees
BY LEE MCBRIDE
Call 811 before you dig to check for buried infrastructure. Fiber optic lines, gas lines, electrical etc. The liabilities you accept for digging without making the call are simply not worth the risk.
If you are preparing one or two individual planting holes, please do not add amendments to the soil in the planting holes. When roots growing in an amended hole find the edge of the native soil they often turn back and begin to circle back around the tree. As the diameters of the tree trunk and tree root that is circling the stem expands each year, they eventually make contact and begin to crush each other. Girdling roots often create a slow strangulation of the tree leading to premature decline and eventual death of the tree.
Dig the hole at least two, preferably three times wider than the tree root ball. Disturbing or fracturing the native soil out from the hole can help the tree roots escape into the lawn or bed area. This is easily done with a pitchfork or shovel. Think of the spokes of a wheel with the trees being the hub. Simply push the shovel or fork deep into the ground and rock it back and forth. Also, the sides of the hole should be at 45 degrees or so. Try not to dig when the soil is too wet. Do cut grooves or slices into the sides of the holes to make it easier for the roots to escape the hole into the lawn or landscapes soil. Otherwise, the sides of the hole will have that shiny, glazed look like a clay pot. This glazing when dry and hardened makes it very difficult for the roots to escape into the native soil.
If possible, avoid placing plants in augured (machine drilled) holes unless the minimum width for the hole is achieved. Avoid placing a tree spade dug tree directly into a tree spade dug hole. Disturb the top 6”- 10” of soil for a foot or more from the hole’s edge.
Try not to dig any deeper than the height of the root ball.
If the root ball is set too low, the plant will suffocate and /or develop root disease. One of the best ways to set a plant is to find the top-most root and set that root one inch above the top of the hole.
If you are planting a balled and burlap tree, make sure you untie any strings holding the burlap around the root ball and the trunk.
Cut or remove or roll the burlap down at least 2/3rds of the height of the root ball. Treated burlap can last 10 years or more in the soil.
When planting container grown trees, always inspect the plant before purchasing. Look for healthy roots that use most or all of the potting soil mix. Avoid or do not accept root bound plants.
If you find yourself with a root bound plant, rub the bit of potting mix out and away from roots or wash the root ball and then straighten out the roots gently as you can. Place these roots spread out away from the main trunk to grow out into the soil in a natural pattern. Know the size of the root ball after washing or rubbing the roots before digging too deeply. Of course, do not let these newly exposed roots dry out.
