The handkerchief tree is one of the most spectacular ornamental trees created by Mother Nature. Where its white petals sway in the wind, they are reminiscent of handkerchiefs on a leash or a flock of fluttering doves. Do you love the gardening challenge? Then clarify open questions about cultivation here.

The handkerchief tree attracts everyone's attention with its impressive blossom

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant the handkerchief tree properly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. The right planting distance
  5. What soil does the plant need?
  6. What is the best planting time?
  7. When is flowering time?
  8. Cut handkerchief tree correctly
  9. Water the handkerchief tree
  10. Fertilize handkerchief tree properly
  11. hibernate
  12. How do I plant correctly?
  13. Handkerchief tree in a pot
  14. Is handkerchief tree poisonous?
  15. How do you grow from seeds?
  16. trivia

    17. Plant the handkerchief tree properly

    In order for the pigeon tree to become a sensational highlight in the garden, direct the growth in the right direction with proper planting. Choose a sunny location with nutrient-rich, fresh, moist soil. The optimal planting date is a mild, dry day in autumn with overcast weather. While you are preparing the bedding soil, soak the root ball in soft water until no more air bubbles rise. This is how the planting proceeds according to all the rules of gardening art:

    • The planting pit has 1.5 times the volume of the root ball
    • Shovel the excavation into a wheelbarrow and mix it with compost and horn shavings
    • Drive a support stake into the planting hole
    • Put the young pigeon tree in the pit and plant it up to the root neck
    • Cut back 20-30 percent on bale goods and bare-root goods

    Tread the substrate firmly and water the handkerchief tree with collected rainwater or decalcified tap water. Finally, connect the trunk to the support stake and spread a layer of mulch.

    care tips

    The care program for the pigeon tree starts on the day of planting, because a regular water supply is essential for healthy growth. In a rainy autumn, however, watering must not get out of hand, because waterlogging is absolutely deadly for a young handkerchief tree. Before the first frost sets in, cover the tree pit thickly with leaves and wrap the crown and trunk with garden fleece or jute ribbons. If the winter comes with dry cold, water the tree on mild days. In April, with the removal of the winter protection, the normal maintenance protocol begins:

    • Keep the handkerchief tree constantly slightly moist
    • Supply with long-term fertilizer in April and July
    • Alternatively, fertilize organically every 3-4 weeks until August
    • Cut back only if necessary in February/March, taking into account the buds that have already formed

    Repeat the winter protection measures in the first 10 years, since a pigeon tree first has to develop its frost hardiness. Later, the precautions are reduced to leaning wooden boards against the trunk so that the intense winter sun cannot damage the sensitive bark.

    Which location is suitable?

    The pigeon tree finds the ideal feel-good atmosphere in a sunny to partially shaded location, sheltered from the wind and surrounded by other trees. Since the roots react sensitively to disturbances, we recommend a place within lawns and not necessarily in the rather restless environment of a bed. In addition, the proximity to garden paths should be avoided due to the soil compaction that prevails there.

    The right planting distance

    Since a pigeon tree in the Central European climate reaches a height of 2 to 5 meters and its maximum height of 10 meters after 50 years at the earliest, it is considered a small tree. If you measure the expected tree height as the minimum distance to the house, you are exactly right. The planting distance to neighboring properties is precisely defined in neighborhood law, but varies in the federal states. As a rule of thumb, a tree taller than 2 meters should be planted at least 2 meters from its neighbor. The responsible regulatory office will provide you with the exact value for your region.

    What soil does the plant need?

    So that you can enjoy the sensational splendor of flowers as quickly as possible, the soil conditions should be selected as follows:

    • Nutrient-rich, humic and, above all, constantly slightly moist
    • Well drained with no risk of waterlogging

    Check the soil reaction in advance, because a slightly acidic to minimally alkaline pH value suits the pigeon tree very well.

    What is the best planting time?

    With a planting time in autumn you give the pigeon tree perfect starting conditions in the bed. Since the soil is deeply warmed by the sun at this time of year, the sensitive roots can establish themselves perfectly until winter knocks at the garden gate. Alternatively, early spring is a good time to plant, giving the handkerchief tree enough time to root before winter.

    When is flowering time?

    The dove tree presents the first handkerchief blossom after an average of 8 years. From April to June/July, the white petals that give the tree its name unfold. With a targeted supply of nutrients, you can influence the flowering period. If you fertilize mainly with nitrogen, the ornamental tree concentrates on height and foliage growth. If you focus on a phosphorus-rich fertilizer from July, the focus will be on bud formation.

    Cut handkerchief tree correctly

    The pigeon tree does not require an annual pruning, as it naturally develops a beautiful habit and grows very slowly in size. If you still want a shape and maintenance cut, proceed as follows:

    • Cut off shoots that are too long in February on a frost-free day
    • Position the scissors at a slight angle 2-3 mm above an outward-facing eye
    • Cut deadwood and stunted branches at the base

    With every cut, please note that a pigeon tree already buds in the previous year. If you cut too deeply into the branches, in the worst case you will rob yourself of the hoped-for blossom spectacle in spring.

    Water the handkerchief tree

    Water a pigeon tree regularly when the natural amount of rain is insufficient. The rather sensitive tree cannot cope with drought stress or waterlogging. Check the soil in the bucket every few days to water as soon as the top 3-4cm has dried up. Alternately use soft rainwater and normal tap water to effectively prevent excess lime in the soil.

    Fertilize handkerchief tree properly

    In terms of nutrient supply, a pigeon tree is frugal and undemanding. How to handle this care topic correctly:

    • Apply a complete fertilizer in April and July
    • Alternatively, from April every 3-4 weeks, work in compost with horn shavings (32.93€) on the surface
    • Apply a liquid fertilizer in the bucket or fertilize with sticks or cones

    From August onwards, a handkerchief tree should no longer be fertilized so that its shoots can mature well before the first frost.

    hibernate

    A pigeon tree has to develop its winter hardiness over the years. Only at an advanced age can it withstand frost down to -15 degrees Celsius. Consequently, the tree depends on your support to get through the cold season in good health. How to protect the gem in the bed from damage:

    • Pile up the tree disc thickly with autumn leaves and needle brushwood
    • Cover the crown with fleece or a shading net
    • Protect the trunk from the winter sun with jute ribbons, in later years with wooden boards
    • Remove the winter protection again by mid-April at the latest

    Keep watering the dove tree in the winter unless there is rain or snow. If damage occurs, it is much more often the result of drought stress than of frost.

    How do I plant correctly?

    A pigeon tree is loyal to its location and finds it difficult to come to terms with disturbances. A transplant is therefore rarely crowned with success. If a change of location is unavoidable, it should be carried out within the first five years, with a preparation time of 1 year. Here's how to do it:

    • In autumn, cut off the roots in as large a radius as possible with a spade
    • Dig a small trench 10-15 cm wide around the root ball
    • Backfill this trench with a mix of garden soil, compost, and leaf compost
    • Water regularly until next autumn so that numerous fine roots develop

    The following fall, lift the pigeon tree out of the ground to plant it in the new location.

    Handkerchief tree in a pot

    In a large pot, a pigeon tree requires much more extensive care than in a bed. Only choose this form of cultivation if you already have many years of experience as a hobby gardener. Use a high-quality potting soil based on compost as a substrate, optimized with lava granules (€13.99) or expanded clay.(€19.73) Insert a drainage made of broken clay above the water drain to protect against waterlogging. This is how the care is done professionally:

    • Keep the pigeon tree evenly moist without causing waterlogging
    • Water alternately with soft rainwater and tap water
    • Fertilize with an emphasis on nitrogen in April and phosphorus in July
    • Every 2-3 years repot into a larger bucket and fresh substrate

    Since there is always a risk of the root ball in the pot freezing through in winter, you cannot avoid taking adequate precautions. Before the first frost, cover the bucket with bubble wrap and cover the substrate with leaves, wood shavings or straw. Place a block of wood under the pot so that the cold does not attack from below. The crown receives a hood made of breathable fleece or jute ribbons. Protect the trunk from the intense winter sun with bast or reed mats.

    Is handkerchief tree poisonous?

    The pigeon tree is perfect as a house tree for a family with children and pets. There are no poisonous components in its leaves, flowers or fruits.

    How do you grow from seeds?

    Sowing seeds of a handkerchief tree requires a fair amount of patience and skill. In the wild, the hard-shelled seeds take up to 18 months before they decide to germinate. If you don't want to wait that long, use the gardening trick of stratification. How to do it:

    • Fill a small plastic box with slightly damp sand and put the seeds in there
    • Store in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 4-8 weeks
    • Then fill small pots with potting soil and plant a seed 1 cm deep in each one

    Keep constantly moist in a semi-shady window seat at 18-20 degrees Celsius until the cotyledons appear. Then place it a little cooler, continue to water regularly and fertilize every 4 weeks with heavily diluted liquid fertilizer.

    trivia

    The time-consuming search for the handkerchief tree led to the discovery of the kiwi in the first step. After the English plant hunter Ernest Henry Wilson arrived in China in 1899 and was disappointed to find that the first pigeon tree discovered 35 years earlier had been felled, he went in search of more specimens. Before he found what he was looking for in Hubei province in May 1900, he discovered an unusual climbing plant with delicious fruits, now known as kiwi.

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Trees