Selecting & Planting Landscape Trees

1. Landscape Considerations Plan First, Plant Once Know the Site Know the Tree Installation Top-most Root Planting Depth Palms Selecting & Planting Landscape Trees Presented by: Sheila Dunning

2. Key to Success Proper planning and plant selection: • Can avoid problems later • Can save energy, effort, water, money, etc. • Makes the landscape more enjoyable

3. Plan First, Plant Once • This is a process, not a one-time event! • Have a plan! • Know the plants and what they require to thrive • Utilize regional gardening books and magazines • Consult with your County Extension Office • Ask qualified nursery professionals for advice

4. How Do You Currently Use Your Property? • Family Activities? • Pets? • Outdoor entertainment? • Low-maintenance? • Do you like wildlife? • Is there a view you want to hide or enhance?

5. Soil Sand, silt, clay, Organic materials pH Light Sun or shade Drainage Wet or dry Drainage patterns Structures and obstructions Utility lines (overhead and underground) Sidewalks / driveways What are the site characteristics?

6. Know Your Plants • What is the mature size of the plant? • Does it grow well in sun or shade? • Does it tolerate flooded conditions? • Is it salt tolerant? • Is it susceptible to pests which may be difficultto control? Helianthus debilis Beach Daisy

7. Selecting Plants • Be familiar with botanical names • Binomial nomenclature- a species name has 2 parts: • Genus and specific epithet • Buy healthy plants • Look for new growth • Roots are white and fibrous • Avoid pot bound plants • Avoid diseased or insect infested plants Jerusalem Thorn Parkinsonia aculeata Specific epithet Genus

8. Seasonal Growth • Different parts of the plant grow at different times of the year • Pattern varies by species and climate

9. Shallow is Better than Deep • Dig the planting hole as wide as possible • The depth of the hole should be less than the height of the root ball

10. Find the Top-most Root • The point where the top-most root meets the trunk of the tree should be no more than 2”deep in the root ball

11. Remove Excess Soil • If the top-most root is too deep, remove soil from the top of the root-ball so the top-most root is within the top 2” of soil Three inches of soil and media were removed from the top of this ball

12. Top root at surface

13. Cutting Circling Roots • These roots were cut because they circled the outside edge of the root ball • New roots will grow quickly into backfill soil following cutting

14. Circling roots – cut them

15. Shave the Rootball

16. Measure from Top Root to Bottom of Container

17. Set Plant in the Hole Rootball should be slightly higher than surrounding grade

18. Straighten the Tree • Before adding backfill, be sure to check that the tree is straight by looking at it from two perpendicular directions

19. Enlarge Hole By Loosening Soil

20. Good Fill

21. Bad Fill!!

22. Water the Backfill to Settle

23. Lifting tree into the planting hole • To avoid damage when setting the tree in the hole, lift the tree with straps or rope around the root ball, not by the trunk

24. Wire Baskets • Baskets made from heavy gauge wire are often used to help keep a root ball intact during shipping and handling

25. Balled and burlapped trees • Under optimal conditions, burlap would be removed from the bottom of the trunk and the top of root ball

26. Remove All Synthetic Burlap • Synthetic burlap melts into a plastic goo while real burlap flames and turns to ash • If burlap is synthetic, be sure to remove all of it with a pruner, knife or other sharp blade

27. Natural Burlap • Burlap removed from the bottom of the trunk and the top of root ball only – remainder will decay

28. Girdled Roots • Each of these roots is very easy to break off at the burlap because there is very little wood that developed through the burlap

29. Rootball Set Correctly?

30. Planted Too Deeply B&B Top of root ball Top of root system

32. Finished Creating Loose Soil

33. Traditional Staking Methods • All these systems require removal within one year of planting Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

34. Alternative Staking Methods • These inexpensive alternative staking systems do not need to be removed because they simply decay in a few years Figure 4 Figure 5

35. Mulching • Apply a 3” thick layer of mulch to at least an eight-foot diameter circle • Apply a thinner layer of mulch over the root ball, but keep it at least 10” from the trunk

36. Improper Mulching • Never pile mulch in a volcano-like manner against the trunk. This cuts off oxygen to roots, can rot the trunk, can keep vital irrigation and rain water out and can keep roots too wet in poorly drained soils

37. Soil Berms • Berms made from soil allow water to soak into the root ball but, unless covered with mulch, rainfall will quickly wash soil from the berm onto the root ball • This could bury the roots too deep

38. Mulch Your Berm • Prevent soil from being washed over the root ball by constructing the berm entirely from mulch

39. Irrigation Management After Planting

40. Fertilizing New Trees • Avoid fertilizing a tree until it is established • Proper irrigation is important • Fertilize 4-6 weeks after planting Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip Poplar

41. Fertilizing Newly Planted Trees • Adding slow release fertilizer of any type at planting has never been associated with improved or reduced survival. • In most cases, it’s not necessary to fertilize after the tree has been in the ground several years.

42. Palms have only ONE terminal growing point Palms do not increase in diameter as they mature Palm roots grow longer but do not increase in diameter Many palms are harvested from the wild Transplant palms in spring and summer Palms Are Different! Sabal palmetto Cabbage Palm

43. Thanks for your attention!