Taking Care of Newly Planted Trees
When Ibes Landscaping has planted your tree in the ground, some important tasks remain:
- Be sure to keep a grass-free area (with a radius of at least a foot, more if possible) around the tree. Grass is tough competition for young trees, and they will recover from transplant shock much more quickly if their competition is reduced. This grass-free strip can be left bare, or even better, covered with mulch. The mulch will keep the root area cool and moist.
- During the first year after planting, pruning should be limited to removing broken, diseased, or poorly-positioned branches. The tree’s expanding terminal buds, which release a chemical that initiates root growth, triggers the spring root growth of many species. If these buds are removed, root growth may be delayed.
- Trees have to recover from transplant shock before fertilizers are useful. Most studies have found no harm to fertilizing at transplant time, but few have found any benefit. This is not true for watering however. You have to be sure to water the new tree for the first two years after transplant. Not only should the roots be watered, the crown likes it as well.
- A high percentage of the variation in tree growth is because of water supply problems. There are so many varieties of trees that you should get to know your tree, but we would like to give you a suggested watering schedule to start you off;
For a tree planted in spring, water the root ball twice a week for the first month, and then widen the watering basin to include the whole planting area, and water weekly for the next two months. Decrease to every two weeks, sticking to that schedule until fall. Water every four to eight weeks through the second and third years after planting.
- You need to know what type of soil your tree is planted in: if your soil is sandy, irrigate sooner with less water; if heavy clay, space watering farther apart but add more water each time. Clay soils store twice as much water as sandy soils. Of course, rain must be taken into account.
- Frequent over-watering can be as serious a hazard as under-watering. Your intuition will be your best watering guide.
- It is important to water deeply and slowly, using a hose or drip irrigation system. This encourages the growth of deep roots, which anchor well, make the tree more drought tolerant, and are less likely to encounter and damage curbs and sidewalks.
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