TRANSPORTING AND PLANTING ORNAMENTALS

TRANSPORTING AND PLANTING ORNAMENTALS

As we approach another growing season a lot of homeowners will be planting new trees and shrubs in their landscape or moving trees or shrubs from one location in their yard to another. To give your plants the best chance at surviving the move to their new home keep these pointers in mind.

Keep plant roots moist. This is especially true if you are transplanting a tree or shrub in your yard and most of the soil has fallen off the roots. An easy solution is to cover the roots with an old, moist towel while you are preparing their new spot in your yard.

If you buy a tree at a nursery then make sure to protect the top of the tree from drying out on the drive home. Cover the canopy of the tree with a tarp or, better yet, bring it home in a van or covered truck.

Protect the tree trunk or shrub stems from damage by using padding wherever the plant might bump or rub against a hard object.

Plan ahead. It is important to allow yourself enough time to pick up or transplant the plant and get it in the ground the same day. The longer it stays out of the ground the lower the chances are that it will survive the move to its new location.

When to plant or transplant your tree or shrub

In southeast Michigan planting can usually be done anytime from April through November. Keep in mind, however, that planting a tree in the middle of summer will require you to be diligent to the watering needs of the plant. Other factors that influence the time of planting are the degree of exposure to winds, the general hardiness of the plant species and the type of soil it’s being planted in. When these conditions are unfavorable, or when the plant is known to be difficult to establish, spring planting is usually preferred.

If you are planting trees or shrubs in the fall, protect the plants against winter injury by mulching and screening them from excessive sun and wind. Newly planted evergreen plants can be treated with an anti-desiccant spray in the late fall to help reduce winter drying.

Where to put your new plant

This is where you need to do a little research and find out the mature size of the tree or shrub you want to plant. You should plant far enough from buildings and other obstacles to allow room form normal growth and spread of the branches or stems. Among other problems, trees and shrubs planted too close to buildings grow lopsided, crowd buildings, damage roofs or gutters and block driveways or lights. These plants will require more maintenance pruning and may need to be removed prematurely.

It’s good to try to find out about the potential pest problems the plant might encounter. For instance, if you are planting a crabapple you should try and plant it in a location with adequate air circulation to reduce the potential for the development of Apple Scab fungus. One of the more common problems we encounter on landscapes is yew shrubs planted too close to downspouts. Yew shrubs don’t like too much soil moisture. They develop a condition known as “wet feet” and in severe cases it can lead to the death of the plant.

How to plant a tree or shrub

Don’t be disheartened if you have ever had a plant die after you planted it, this happens to professional landscapers, too. Even when you do everything right some plants will not survive being moved. You can improve your odds of success by keeping these key points in mind:

  • Protect the roots before planting
  • Set the plant at the proper depth
  • Use a good planting soil
  • Firm the soil around the roots
  • Keep the ground moist
  • Place mulch on the ground around the plant

Whether they are trees or shrubs, plants usually come in one of three ways. Balled & burlapped, containerized, or bare root. No matter how your plant is packaged you will always want to dig the planting hole larger than the size of the root ball. It is also critical to have the root collar (the swollen portion of the stem where the roots join the main stem of the plant) as even as possible to the soil surface.

Balled & burlapped trees come wrapped in a wire cage, so you’re going to need some hefty wire cutters or bolt cutters in addition to your normal planting tools. But, the first thing you want to find out is how deep you need to dig your planting hole. Do this by unwrapping the burlap from around the top of the root ball. As gently as possible, scrap away the soil on the top of the root ball until you find where the root collar is on the tree. This step is necessary because sometimes the root collar is not where the top of the root ball is when it came from the nursery. You might end up removing several inches of soil at the top of the root ball before you start seeing the trunk flaring, which indicates the location of the root collar. Once you have located the root collar you can dig the hole using a measuring tape to determine the necessary depth and width. After the tree is in the hole you should remove at least the top two levels of the wire basket and cut back the burlap so it is below ground level. Also remove any string or twine that might be around the trunk of the tree to prevent any future girdling of the tree.

Containerized plants can also get soil built up around their trunks during their time at the nursery, so you may need to remove some soil from the top of the root ball here, as well. Another potential problem with container plants is girdling roots. To alleviate this problem you should shave off the sides of the root ball with a sharp shovel once the plant has been removed from its container.

The first thing to do for bare root planting is to place the roots in water while you dig the hole, or even keep them in water overnight. Make sure the planting hole is wide enough so the roots can be fully expanded and arranged in their natural position. Place a mound of soil in the bottom of the planting hole so the plant can be set on it with the root collar level with the soil surface. Start backfilling the hole and gradually work the soil around the roots, pressing gently with your fingers.

For all of the above planting methods, after the hole has been filled with soil apply water to help eliminate any air pockets. Once the water has drained away you may need to add a little more soil. After filling the hole, do not firm the soil with your feet.

If the tree is in an exposed location you may need to stake it for the first year or two. If you’re going to leave stakes on for a second year check your guy lines to make sure they are not girdling the tree trunk. They may need to be loosened. You will want the trunk to be able to sway a little.

At this point minimal pruning should be necessary. Of course, you will want to prune any branches or twigs that were damaged during transport or transplanting. Pruning young trees is important in developing a good structure for the future, but allow it at least a year to become established before starting this process.

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