Ten Tree And Shrub Planting Tips

For the typical gardener, a garden won't be complete without the shrubs and trees that add foliage to his or her garden. If you have guidelines on how to plant flowers, there are also tips on how to plant trees and shrubs. Here are some of it.

1. Before you dig a hole, make sure of the location. When choosing a location for your tree, it should be far enough from the rest of the plants. We all know how big a tree can grow. In addition, when it is fully grown, it should not provide too much shade on those plants that need a lot of sunlight.

2. When digging holes for your trees, make sure that it is equally distanced. The holes should not be too close or else the tree won't be able to grow to its full extent because it will be competing with the other trees for nutrients.

3. Check the length of the roots. Planting a tree too deep or too shallow will surely kill it. The dark spot on the trunk usually indicates the depth the tree has been planted in the nursery. So ideally if you plant the tree or shrub in your garden, it would be more or less at the same level.

4. For shrubs, it is ideal that you dig a hole that is twice as wide as the root ball and rather shallow. To help the roots penetrate the soil, till the sides of the hole to loosen the soil.

5. Before you cover your tree seedling or shrub with soil in the hole, make sure that you had removed its previous container. This step is a must especially if the previous container is made of plastic. Burlap wraps don't have to be removed completely.

6. After removing the container, always loosen the roots. Do this gently to avoid accidentally cutting the root. This will help speed up the roots gaining access into the soil. When doing this, do not take so much time because roots die fast especially when exposed to light and extreme heat.

7. When filling the hole, always let it set in before filling it completely. To do this, you can either use water or you can step on it. In other words, fill the hole first half way then gently step on it or water it. This process will allow the soil to set in and collapse all air pockets. Then completely fill the hole and again do not forget to step on it or fill it with water.

8. To make sure that water reaches the roots after you planted your tree or shrub, you make a temporary water basin at the base of the trunk. Fill this basin with water and let it soak. Give it enough time so that water will be able to reach the roots on the root ball. A dry root ball is incapable of absorbing water and if not watered properly your tree or shrub might die.

9. A shallow moat around your recently planted tree or shrub will surely help keep the roots watered during hot summer months. During this time of the year, fill the moat with water until no more water soaks in.

10. When your trees and shrubs have finally grown, do not hesitate to prune them. Pruning is beneficial to these plants because it will remove diseased parts or branches, provide clearance from the ground and of course allows light to pass through the canopy.