by Dale Carlon

With all of the planning and preparations that we have done so far to ensure our new trees success we can’t stop once it’s in the ground. The first growing season is critical – things we do now, both right and wrong, have impacts on the tree for decades to come, if indeed it gets the chance to last for decades.

Irrigation

The most common question I get is, “How much water do I apply?”  As always the type of soil you have and the environment the tree is in makes a huge difference. However, for the sake of this discussion let’s assume that the tree was planted in a good planting mix with average exposure (full sun, full wind). After the planting we have built a berm around the tree forming a saucer. There is an inner ring that prevents water from soaking the base of the trunk, so our saucer looks more like a doughnut. For the first growing season the soil should be just kept moist, not soaking wet. A good rule of thumb is that you fill the doughnut up three times a week. If you install drip put three one gallon per hour emitters about one foot out from the trunk set to run for one hour three days a week.

Fertilizing

The metabolism of a newly planted tree is stressed from being dug up at the grower, transported to the nursery, and then sitting in a black pot on asphalt at the nursery waiting for you to buy it. Adding fertilizers at planting speeds up the metabolism and adds stress. When we have used a good planting soil the nutrients are there and no additional fertilizers should be applied. In about three growing seasons you can start fertilizing with a deep root feeder, opening up the soil and injecting a balanced set of nutrients.

Pruning

It is a myth that newly planted trees should be pruned. Again, reducing stress is important. Pruning makes the tree work on healing wounds when it should be making topgrowth and root system. Only prune off any dead or broken branches, wait till the third growing season to start pruning.

Staking

The argument about staking is a complex one that I will describe in detail in Greno #5 as there is a lot to understand. For today however, let’s admit that we live in a high wind area. As I write this the winds are at about 60 miles an hour in Reno. We do need to stake. Set your stakes outside the rootball so they penetrate the native soil. Orient them in a west/east configuration. Use a soft material to connect to the trunk, and take them off after the first season.

For more information check www.communityforestry.org and please friend me on Facebook at Dale Carlon Consulting LLC, you will enjoy my daily tree tips, and I love to answer questions there.

by Dale Carlon, Certified Arborist

We all learned in school the values of trees; providers of shade, producers of oxygen, screeners of winds. These are all important contributions, but there are so many more ways we can use trees to enhance our environment when utilized correctly.

Everyone can recognize a tree that has been planted in the wrong place, the roots are buckling the sidewalk because the tree is too close, or fruit bearing trees littering yards with rotting fruit, the list is endless. But how often do we say “Wow, that tree is placed perfectly in that space!” The most common mistake we see are large growing trees planted in small areas, this may look good in the beginning, but years later extensive pruning and even removal may be required. To avoid this, check out mature trees of the variety you are interested in and see if they would fit the area you intend to plant fifteen years from now. Consider placing a deciduous tree on the west or northwest side of your house, providing shade to assist in cooling in the summer but in winter with leaves gone allows for a passive heating source. You can increase efficiency of air-conditioning units by placing an evergreen between the afternoon sun and the unit. We use the evergreen for this so that falling leaves will not get into the unit. Winds can make a backyard virtually unusable in the afternoon, the columnar evergreen fits this role perfectly, we can plant these close together and they put on height quickly. Using one of the Pine varieties gives interest to the landscape in winter and provides a safe haven to birds year-round. Providing a canopy of shade over your lawn and shrubs can reduce water usage significantly. Try placing a tree with fragrant flowers like Prairiefire Crabapple between the prevailing wind direction and a house window, just open the window on a spring afternoon and bring a beautiful, natural perfume into your home.

There is a great deal of information out there available to help you in choosing the right tree for your yard .On the web try communityforestry.org, a site by the Truckee Meadows Community Forestry Coalition . Also on the web is the treesaregood.com site by the International Society of Arboriculture. For a more personal connection try a visit to the University Of Nevada Cooperative Extension at 5305 Mill street which is staffed by some of the most knowledgeable people around.

So, whether you have a new yard to landscape or an existing yard that could use some “sprucing” up, (pun intended) think about using trees, the venerable and beautiful sustainers of the landscape.