Trees can sometimes prove to be an expensive, but glorious, addition to a garden. It is therefore vitally important that you follow the guidelines below when planting or transplanting trees. Although trees can outlive several generations of your family they can only do this if they are looked after well. The article below gives a few hints and tips on how to plant and transplant trees successfully.
The roots of trees play two incredibly important roles. Firstly the larger thicker roots ensure that it stays in place and, secondly, the smaller fibrous roots are those that provide all the water and nutrients (extracted from the soil around it) that trees need to grow well. It is therefore immensely important that you take great care not to damage any of the roots while planting or transplanting a tree.
It’s great fun browsing through nursery catalogs and it is easy to be swayed into buying trees that we know little about just because they look spectacular. However this could prove fatal to your garden in the years to come. Trees grow to reach all different heights and spreads, when they reach maturity, and many gardeners find that they have bought a tree that quickly grows to become too large for the garden and a nightmare to remove. Always check the size a tree could reach when mature before you buy.
The modern gardener has many advantages and the most important are those developed in the laboratory. There are a number of sprays, powders and gels available today that are simply amazing. One of the most useful, when planting and transplanting trees, is the wilt-proof spray which can stop leaf drop and reduce wilting. Another fine product is the root growth hormone which increases the rate of root growth in trees.
The products mentioned above work great at reducing moisture loss and ensuring that trees are able to fend for themselves as quickly as possible. However all your efforts could be wasted if you do not take the time to inspect trees closely before you buy them. Make sure that there is a large root ball and that it is strong, healthy and free from disease. Other signs of disease could show up in the leaves so take a close look (if there are any as it is best to transplant trees while they are dormant).
However, before you start planting/transplanting your tree you should ensure that you have plenty of fresh water to hand. Tap water is fine but you should leave it to stand for a minimum of a few hours to ensure that any chlorine has evaporated. If you can start to collect rainwater well in advance of planting/transplanting trees as natural rainwater is always the best. Check and double check you have everything to hand so that you can get your tree into the ground as quickly as possible.
Finally you can get your hands dirty. Dig a hole about one foot wider, in all direction, than the root ball. Loosen the ground at the bottom with a pitchfork and mix in some well rotted organic matter such as peat. You can also add a little bone meal but mix it in well. Fresh manure can be used at a pinch but, because it could burn the roots as it rots, it is very important that you only use a small amount and, again, mix it in well.
Now for the final steps. Flood the hole and let all the water drain away and you are ready to add your tree. Place the tree in the middle of the hole and fill it, roughly, two thirds full with good quality loam. Flood it and allow it to drain once more and then top up with more soil. Check with a trowel to make sure there are no air pockets and that it done. By following the instructions here your trees will soon be growing nicely.