<font color=red>QUICK TIPS</font> Tree Planting Strategies

The University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) suggests the following strategies for successfully planting trees and keeping them healthy.

1. Location, location, location: Never plant trees too close to a home or outbuilding. No matter how small they are when planted, trees grow. They can interfere with the integrity of a foundation, and the long-term health of the tree can be compromised. Larger tree species should be planted at least 20 feet from a foundation, and all but the smallest shrubs should be kept at least 5 feet away.

It’s a good idea to measure the site before planting and locate trees based on their mature size.

Look up before planting. If there are utility lines above the planting site, move the tree. In 10 years this will pay off.

Before digging, call the local utilities company to have a representative visit the site to ensure underground utility or natural gas lines are not in the way.

2. Site preparation: Prepare the planting site by spading or rototilling an area at least two times the diameter of the root ball. For example, if the root ball is 2 feet across, then the area to be tilled will be 4 feet.

Dig the hole only as deep as to the top of the root crown -- the area on a tree where the roots start to grow. When root systems are buried too deep, less oxygen is available and often less water. In heavy clay soils, water may not drain properly, and deeply planted trees could succumb to root rot, a disease characterized by root decay.

3. To amend or not to amend: The research is fairly clear: Don’t do it. Adding peat moss or aged manures into the planting soil mix provides no benefit to the trees. Research has shown that, in some cases, this can actually hurt a tree’s ability to survive and flourish. Getting the tree acclimated to the soil is important. The same is true with fertilizing. In general, one can begin to fertilize trees the year following planting, typically in late May or early June. A soil test done with the assistance of a UW CES office will help determine a tree’s fertilizer requirements. Find contact information for offices at {M7http://ces.uwyo.edu/Counties.asp or in the white pages under county government.

4. Prepare the rootball: Remove all man-made items -- such as wire, burlap and string -- from the rootball before backfilling begins. If left, these materials can cause severe root girdling as the tree matures.

5. Think in thirds: After the tree is in the hole, backfill the hole with soil until it is about one-third full. Gently pack the soil and then add water. This helps eliminate air pockets. Make sure all air pockets are filled in with water. Continue this process until completed, but don’t tamp the soil. Air pockets should be eliminated without packing the soil.

6. Mulch the tree area: Next to proper planting depth, mulching is one of the most important steps to ensure trees and shrubs remain healthy.

Use coarse textured mulch like wood or bark chips, or rock. Usually, wood mulch is preferred but, in high-wind areas, pea gravel to fist-sized rocks may be needed.

Mulch does extraordinary things. It allows longer retention of soil moisture, cutting water usage by up to 75 percent. It reduces the compaction of soils around a tree, allowing roots to easily grow into the soil. It keeps soils cooler in the summer and offers insulation in the winter. And it helps keep grass and weeds away from trees, eliminating potential damage caused by weed trimmers and lawn mowers.

Two to four inches of mulch is ideal, but do not mulch within 6 inches of the trunk; this will help avoid root rot.

7. Staking: Not all trees need staking. But if the tree is exposed to wind, use wide belt-like straps -- not rope or wire -- to avoid damage. Allow the tree to sway slightly as this will promote strong roots.

8. Water rules: Water newly planted trees frequently until the roots become established. To determine if watering should occur, poke your finger into the soil to see if it’s still moist.

For more tips, visit http://ces.uwyo.edu/.