Whether fruit tree, deciduous tree or coniferous tree - every garden needs a tree! Not only does the wood structure a garden space and ensure clean air, it is also a valuable habitat for many animals. In addition to insects, small animals such as birds, hedgehogs and lizards also find hiding places and food here. If you only have a small garden, you have a wide choice among numerous small trees.
Container trees can be planted almost all year round
The selection of the tree
Before planting, of course, the first thing to do is to select a suitable tree, although you cannot plant just any species in your garden. In addition to personal preferences, these criteria also determine the suitability or unsuitability of the desired tree species for the envisaged location:
- Size of the planting area and expected size of the tree
- Proximity and nature to other plants
- site conditions and brightness
- soil condition
- desired use
In particular, the available space, the brightness of the location and the nature of the soil are immensely important factors as to whether the tree planted there can grow healthily. Large trees such as oaks, chestnuts, pines, etc. need a lot of space and therefore belong in a large garden - just like most standard fruit trees. Sun worshipers should not be planted in the shade, and wet room plants (such as alders or rhododendrons) should not be planted in dry, sandy soil.
The right season
In principle, container plants can be planted all year round, provided the ground is not frozen. However, planting in autumn or spring is recommended, as freshly planted young trees have a high water requirement and can therefore dry out quickly if planted during the hot summer months. Bare-rooted trees, on the other hand, are only planted in the ground when there is little vegetation.
Necessary preparations
If the location, tree species and season are right, you can finally start planting. Before doing this, however, the soil must first be thoroughly loosened. If you have acquired a shallow root, you must dig up the planting area over a large area and thoroughly crumble the crumbs of earth. Deep-rooted plants, on the other hand, require deep tillage so that their roots can grow unhindered. These measures are particularly important in the case of heavily compacted soil, which is often found in newly built houses. However, caution is also required with older gardens: here many people have already found buried building rubble and other waste that needs to be removed. It is then often necessary to replace the floor, for example if asbestos has been buried.
Planting a tree - instructions
Before planting directly, you should place the tree in a bucket of water to allow its roots to soak up water. Meanwhile, do the preparatory work and dig the planting pit.
Dig the planting pit
Use a spade to dig out the planting pit, which should be about twice the size of the root ball of the tree to be planted. Thoroughly loosen the bottom and walls of the pit with a suitable tool, such as a claw or hoe. Mix the excavation with a generous scoop of compost and a generous handful of horn shavings ($39.93) and pour some into the pit.
Insertion of the plant stake
Now drive the planting stake into the edge area of the pit. This serves to stabilize the tree and ensures that it is not knocked over again with the first gust of wind. It does not make sense to hammer in the tree after planting, as its roots can be accidentally damaged - with the result that growth suffers and certain diseases can occur, for example due to fungi.
planting the tree
Now place the tree in the planting pit. Plant it exactly as deep as it was in the nursery or in the container. You can recognize the planting depth by the darker discoloration of the trunk. In the case of grafted trees, first look at where the graft is located. If the grafting point is on the root collar, you should plant the tree so that it is at least four inches above the ground. Otherwise, either rootstock or scion can take root from it, so that the desired growth characteristics determined by the rootstock are gone. Fill in the substrate and gently tread down. Tie the tree to the stake, if possible with a raffia or coconut fiber ribbon. The rope is looped around the tree and pole in figure eights, whereby the trunk must not be constricted.
Don't forget to water and fertilize!
Newly planted trees need a lot of water. Therefore form a watering rim along the planting pit and around the trunk so that a hollow is created. Fill them well with water, which gradually seeps into the ground. Then mulch the tree disc with bark mulch, lawn clippings or similar materials so that the moisture stays in the ground and does not evaporate. During longer rain breaks, you should also water the young tree.
plant cutting
Since roots are always destroyed or cut during planting and this creates an imbalance between the above and below ground parts of the tree, you must cut back the crown accordingly. Otherwise, the remaining roots would no longer be able to adequately supply the crown, so that the tree would partially wither. The type and extent of the pruning depends on the tree species and its purpose. Fruit trees, for example, are pruned differently than ornamental trees in order to promote the development of fruit wood.
tips
If possible, choose native tree species, as their ecological value for the entire environment is significantly higher than an imported tree, with which native insects and birds cannot do anything.