Friday, April 24, 2009

Arbor Day




Happy Arbor Day! Plant a tree!

[photos: some of my favorite trees: the leaves of a Dove Tree (thanks Jeannie!), a Japanese Maple and a dogwood].

Go to:

http://www.arborday.net/

Though fall is the best time to plant a tree in our region, spring is pretty good too. Make sure you select a tree that is right for your site, and keep it well watered during the growing season. When you plant a tree, make sure it is planted at the right depth, usually the same depth as planted in the pot you get it in at the nursery (though I have seen some bad repotting from some garden centers and the tree is buried too deeply in the pot). Make the hole about twice as wide and as deep as the pot. Do not over enrich the soil- the tree must learn to live on the soil you have. If you over-enrich the soil, the tree will send lots of roots into the rich soil area and not form a branching root structure. After you plant the tree, tamp the soil around the base with your foot to make sure there are no large air pockets in the soil. Water it in and add more soil as necessary. “The Southern Gardener’s Book of Lists” (1994, Taylor Publishing) by Lois Trigg Chaplin gives lists of trees for dry sites, wet sites, heavy clay sites…and so forth. It is a great resource to consult in planning your tree planting!

Happy Planting!

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