Before Planting a Tree

Planting trees is one of the easiest yet effective means of giving your garden or your yard a face-lift. Trees can provide shade in summer and wind protection in winter. Aside from these, they can also add to the privacy of your home while boosting real estate values. There are plenty of choices if you’re planning to plant a tree. These depend on the size, shape, growth habits and care needed, so choose carefully, because the tree you pick will have long-lasting consequences.

When selecting a tree, the first step is to decide what kind of tree is suitable for your property and your needs. Climate and soil play big roles. For example, if you plant a date palm, it might have difficulty surviving the winter season in Chicago. And a water-hungry willow would starve in the desert sands. Make sure that the tree species you are considering should be able to flourish in your local climate and soil conditions (designated hardiness zone).

Matching tree to site is a key part of the tree selection process. Think about the size of the area within which your new tree will be situated. How big will that spindly three-foot sapling be in 30 or 40 years? Is an oak or a willow, either very large when fully grown, the best tree for a small front lawn in a city? A crucial factor to consider is proximity to buildings, sidewalks, driveways, streets, utility lines, overhead and buried, and septic systems. Trees spread out both above and below ground and branch overhang and root growth can cause considerable damage and incur considerable expense if a tree is poorly situated.

Drainage is yet another issue to consider. Good quality, well-drained loam soil is best for planting young trees. Poorly-drained planting sites will give you problems, since many tree species, including firs, beeches, yellowwoods, oaks and yews will not be able to handle “wet feet”. Avoid areas where stagnant water pools around roots, since this can lead to “root rot” caused by lack of oxygen. You can do a general test for soil drainage by digging a hole in the planting area and filling it with water. If the water hasn’t drained away in a couple of hours, drainage may be an issue. In areas where drainage is a particular problem, you can plant trees in raised beds of 12 to 18 inches of good quality topsoil to solve the problem.

Tree planters in new subdivisions will oftentimes meet soil quality problems. The PH level of the soil, and therefore its fertility, is often affected by construction materials and the resulting rubble. The chemical and petroleum spills which take place during building construction also present additional worries. If the soil contamination is quite severe, the only solution may be to scrape away the contaminated soil and replace it with good quality topsoil.

Personal taste is another key consideration. The way that your property’s appearance and ambience might be improved by the various kinds of trees should be taken into account. Make a list of the kinds of trees you admire, and think about how they would look in your yard or garden. Think about how the tree you selected would fill in the property over time. Make a few sketches, or if you don’t have confidence in your artistic skills, hire a landscape designer or get some landscape design software.

Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com

Tom Higgins is a researcher and writer working for www.plantnurserysupplies.com, where you can get all the nursery supplies at the best prices. Visit us for all your nursery needs.

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