How Should You Prepare to Plant Advanced Trees?
When you consider planting advanced trees instead of saplings, your landscaping project can provide you with some instant gratification. You won't have to simply imagine the final outcome or worry if you have planted everything in the right place in order to be picture perfect. You do have to take into account several factors when planting advanced trees that have been grown in a container, in order to ensure longevity. What do you need to know?
Preparation
Firstly, you want to ensure that the hole you prepare is adequate. The depth will need to be around the size of the root ball. You must ensure that the hole is "roughed up" so the roots can easily penetrate, and you should also run a trench from the lowest side towards any natural drainage area.
Planting the Tree
Before you remove from the container, make sure that the root ball is moistened. This will make it easier to remove from the pot, which you should do by gently tapping on the sides. Never be tempted to try and pull it from the trunk. If there are any "matted" roots anywhere you should cut these off, in order to allow roots to spread evenly.
When you place the root ball into the hole, make sure the top of it is slightly above ground level. As you put soil back in, pad it around the edges and add some fertiliser in order to prime it. It's possible to get some special additive from your supplier to help. Always make sure to use the same soil you excavated from this hole in the first place.
Priming
Next, you should create a "bowl" effect around the circumference that will allow you to add some water. This will naturally seep into the soil beneath, and you should reapply the water a couple of times. This in itself will help to prime the watering of the root ball below.
Adding Mulch
When you have watered the root ball, spread some organic mulch around the area being careful not to touch the actual trunk of the tree itself, as this can cause a disease to spread in some cases. If you do use stakes, then be careful to apply these away from the root ball and allow for flexibility in the strapping.
Ongoing Maintenance
Keep a good eye on irrigation, especially over the first summer. It's important to ensure that the root ball is kept moistened through those hot summer months, and you should gradually wean away from water thereafter, rather than just stopping abruptly.
For more on this topic, contact a tree nursery like Din San Nursery.
