Paul James, host of HGTV's Gardening by the Yard, explains the benefits of trees and how to buy, plant and care for them. Trees are available from many sources. Although mail-order sources may seem convenient, they can be risky because you can't see the product, and trees sent by mail are often small. A local nursery or home-and-garden center is the best place to look, as you can see what you're buying. An important bonus: professionals will be on the premises to answer your questions. Before purchasing a tree, examine the leaves, limbs and bark for insect or disease problems such as cracks or splits. The tree's root ball should have some moisture, and the leaves shouldn't be drooping or yellowing. Look at the tree's form and shape: branches should emerge from the trunk at angles greater than 45 degrees. Pruning may help, but the basic shape of the tree will stay the same. Ask the staff whether the tree you're considering has any known problems or undesirable traits and whether improved varieties have been developed. These trees may cost a little more, but they're worth it. Deciduous trees drop their leaves in the fall and grow new ones in the spring. They offer shade and colorful foliage in the fall, then go dormant in the winter. A tree's price is determined by the variety and its growth rate, availability and size. Most popular landscape trees range from $50 to $250. Slow-growing or rare trees often exceed this range. You can often plant the tree yourself, but if it's large, consider having a nursery install it. The cost of this service may be high, but a warranty usually comes with the installation. Think long and hard about the planting site. If you make a mistake, you may not realize it for several years, and by that time it's too late to correct it easily. Avoid planting potentially large trees close to the house: a distance of 30' to 50' is preferable to prevent limbs and debris from falling on the house. Don't plant too near a sidewalk, driveway or concrete foundation, as roots may lift and damage these structures (figure A). Avoid planting trees above buried gas, electric, sewer and water lines. If you ever need to do maintenance on the lines, you'd have to dig through tree roots to do so. Contact your utility company before planting. It will send someone out to locate and mark the utility lines (figure B). Avoid planting trees under power lines. Spring and fall are the best times to plant trees. Choose a time when the soil is workable, not too wet, too hard or frozen. If your soil freezes hard in winter, spring planting is best. When you're ready to plant, mark out an area at least five times the diameter of the root ball. Remove any sod to a depth of 4", then loosen the soil to a depth of 10" to 12". Dig a hole twice as wide and not quite as deep as the root ball: planting too deep can kill a tree. Save excess soil to use later, and make sure the tree is straight. If the root ball is wrapped in burlap, remove as much as possible without disturbing the ball itself. If exposed to sun and wind, burlap can absorb moisture from the roots. Cover the root ball with the soil you saved. Improving the soil may sound like a good idea, but it's counterproductive as it encourages roots to stay in the "good" soil rather than reach out. Water the planting area, adding soil to any sunken areas. Do this weekly for the first few months. Cover the surrounding area with mulch to keep moisture in and protect the tree from animals. Using fertilizer on trees is questionable because it can increase a tree's growth rate and thus lead to health problems. Rapidly growing trees tend to be weak and may fall during storms due to a lack of density. An ash tree is a nice compromise: it grows fast and develops extremely tough wood. It's also adaptable to a wide variety of soil conditions. Staking is also questionable because it may cause a tree to become dependent on the stake. When hard winds blow, a tree must build its own strength. Consult a professional if your trees have damaged limbs or develop diseases. Here are some tips to improve the overall appearance of your trees: - Prune spring-flowering trees in late spring or early summer, and prune most other trees in late winter or early spring.
- Prune lightly, removing less than one-third of the limbs or branches each time you prune.
- Make pruning cuts in the branch collar, or swollen area, of the branch, usually about 1" from the trunk.
- Make three careful cuts on heavy branches to prevent the branch's weight from tearing bark off the trunk.
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