Whew! Winter is beyond us, for the most part, we hope…
Planting time is now!
I consulted the Bish Boys (Dan and Dave Bish) at Plant Oregon, about planting in the spring, and remember folks, these guys have forgotten more about planting trees than I could ever remember!
They are the hardest working pair of plantsmen you could ever hope to meet, and willing to share their experience and advice based on what does, and doesn’t, work here in the valley has been an education, to say the least.
I asked both Bish Boys for their top 3 recommendations when planting a new tree, and their patent answer was… “Plant high, mulch like crazy, and irrigate accordingly!”
Again, back to basics, water, elements, temperature and space. But you already knew that, right?
So what to plant then? What can you envision 20, 50, or 100 years from now?
Every tree guy/gal has their pet tree, and yep, I have a few that blow my skirt up, but your mileage may vary!
Quality stock is the best way to go, and you should invest in good puppies, if you expect good dogs…
April is a fine time to plant, and with the exception of fall months, now is the time to pull the trigger!
Good root formation in plastic pots are almost impossible to find, and that is why quality growers either dig, and ball/burlap, or re-pot the tree into “grow bags,” a porous felt bag that inhibits encircling or “girdling” root systems.
A “pot bound” tree planted without correcting will be pot bound FOREVER!!!
This is one of the most common reasons for failure in trees planted in a landscape setting.
Also, as your young tree increases with size, the irrigation regime MUST grow as well…
How much? How often? How much is too much, or too little?
It depends on your soil composition, drainage, wind exposure, radiant heat value/reflective blast from hardscape, etc.
Mulching with 2-4″ of fine wood mulch about halfway from the stem to the end of the canopy, and again twice as far, should suffice.
Why so far? Let’s just play it safe, and assume that your trees roots occupy the soil out there.
There is so much going on underground, that I refer to the professional growers intimate knowledge on this topic! Remember, they do this for a living!
I’m an oak guy, but this spring, I’m rolling the dice on a select few Acers (maples) I fell in love with last fall…
I hope your spring planting is a good one!
Special thanks to all the people at Plant Oregon who tirelessly make our world a beautiful place to live…
Casey P. Roland Tree Care
(541) 488-0782
