By Liliana Usvat
Blog 278-365
Planting a tree is like investing in the future. Planting a tree is a very fulfilling act. It says that you are investing in the future, hopefully planting something now that will continue to produce crops for you and your loved ones for many years into the future, and perhaps even for after you are gone.
It also initiates an ecosystem centered around that tree – bringing birds and insects to the garden, providing shaded conditions underneath that suit lower-lying plants – guild planting around a central tree is a particularly effective way of placing species – and altering the soil conditions.
How To?
A tree will typically come with a root ball. It is important to dig a hole suitable to the size of the root ball. You want to dig a hole that is wide and shallow. Ideally the hole will be three times as wide as the diameter of the root ball and only as deep as its height, so that when it is planted, none of the trunk is below the soil line.
Because you want to give the root structure the best chance of spreading out and so develop a broad, firm structure that will hold the tree up for many years, it is important that the hole, even when dug to the right size, act as a barrier to further expansion. This is particularly important in soils with a high proportion of clay.
If the tree has come with its root ball wrapped in a burlap sack, remove the material and any remnants of twine. If the tree is being transplanted from a container, check that the roots have not become compressed. If they seem tightly bound to one another, carefully tease the roots away from one another so that they will spread out in different directions when they grow.
Once the tree is in place, backfill the hole with good quality topsoil. Use the soil you removed to dig the hole in the first instance, but ensure that it is loosely structured to allow penetration by roots.
If your tree is fragile, has a thin trunk or may experience strong winds, tie it to a stake to ensure it grows straight and to provide support.
A newly planted tree should be well watered. Preferably using harvested rainwater, you should water the tree every day for two to three weeks after planting to help promote root growth.
Mulching around the tree is a good way to preserve soil moisture, with the added benefit of suppressing grasses and weeds that can compete with the tree for soil moisture and nutrients. Bark, wood chips and straw make good mulches for trees.
Question
How many trees are planted like this where large areas of land should be reforested?
Initiatives
Since 1 January 2008 the Welsh Government has pledged to plant a tree for every child born or adopted in Wales. The program is called “Plant!” and is helping to create a welsh national forest of native trees.
Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYmgrw0PgLU
Blog 278-365
Planting a tree is like investing in the future. Planting a tree is a very fulfilling act. It says that you are investing in the future, hopefully planting something now that will continue to produce crops for you and your loved ones for many years into the future, and perhaps even for after you are gone.
It also initiates an ecosystem centered around that tree – bringing birds and insects to the garden, providing shaded conditions underneath that suit lower-lying plants – guild planting around a central tree is a particularly effective way of placing species – and altering the soil conditions.
How To?
A tree will typically come with a root ball. It is important to dig a hole suitable to the size of the root ball. You want to dig a hole that is wide and shallow. Ideally the hole will be three times as wide as the diameter of the root ball and only as deep as its height, so that when it is planted, none of the trunk is below the soil line.
Because you want to give the root structure the best chance of spreading out and so develop a broad, firm structure that will hold the tree up for many years, it is important that the hole, even when dug to the right size, act as a barrier to further expansion. This is particularly important in soils with a high proportion of clay.
If the tree has come with its root ball wrapped in a burlap sack, remove the material and any remnants of twine. If the tree is being transplanted from a container, check that the roots have not become compressed. If they seem tightly bound to one another, carefully tease the roots away from one another so that they will spread out in different directions when they grow.
Once the tree is in place, backfill the hole with good quality topsoil. Use the soil you removed to dig the hole in the first instance, but ensure that it is loosely structured to allow penetration by roots.
If your tree is fragile, has a thin trunk or may experience strong winds, tie it to a stake to ensure it grows straight and to provide support.
A newly planted tree should be well watered. Preferably using harvested rainwater, you should water the tree every day for two to three weeks after planting to help promote root growth.
Mulching around the tree is a good way to preserve soil moisture, with the added benefit of suppressing grasses and weeds that can compete with the tree for soil moisture and nutrients. Bark, wood chips and straw make good mulches for trees.
Question
How many trees are planted like this where large areas of land should be reforested?
Initiatives
Since 1 January 2008 the Welsh Government has pledged to plant a tree for every child born or adopted in Wales. The program is called “Plant!” and is helping to create a welsh national forest of native trees.
There are several sites around Wales that are being planted at this moment. So far there have been over 150,000 new trees planted. Don’t forget that trees produce oxygen! “Why is this important?” you ask – It is important, because we need oxygen to live.
The original idea came from Natalie Vaughan, who thought it would be a good way to make people think about the environment and the role they have in preserving it. Natalie was 11 years old at the time. Each child receives a certificate stating where their tree will be planted. They could come in the future and visit it.
Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYmgrw0PgLU
