TREE PLANTING SUNDAY!!

This is the time of the year to start tree planting.  The best time is after a rain and before the next rain.  The ground is wet and easy to dig, and makes the perfect environment for the new growth. 

Make sure there is distance between the nearest tree so that they grow freely.   Cut out a two foot diameter sod layer.  You can use the sod layer to transplant into other areas.   The hole is dug deeper than the plant’s root ball plus some of the trunk/stem of the tree.   The two foot diameter hole is more than enough for the drip line of these small trees.

Next, I add some hydrated polyacurlate (P-4) crystals.  P-4 helps to hold water for the plant.  The P-4 is placed at the bottom of the hole. The root ball is placed on top of the P-4. 

Now we prune the lower small branches off the tree and place the pruning in the hole.   

The pruning help fertilize the tree. 

The root ball is covered with soil and tamped down with your foot. The next rain will water in the somewhat dormant plant.

 

Since grasses may hide the young tree in the spring and summer, I place a marker or stake at the tree site.  This helps me avoid mowing down the young tree, which I have found to be detrimental to their health!