Tips on the care and feeding of garden trees

Tips on the care and feeding of garden trees

When trees grow naturally in the forest, the leaves fall around them, rot, and form good soil. The leaves also retain soil moisture.

In a lawn, however, the tree must compete with the lawn for moisture and nutrients, and the leaves are raked to prevent turf disturbances, so that the successful gardener sees fit to supply nutrients every two to three years.

Feeding should be done when the soil is viable, in the spring or in the fall. A difficult but worthwhile feeding method is to remove the grass from an area around the tree that extends at least 2 to 3 feet beyond the outer branches, as the root system extends all the way here.

Apply barn or barnyard manure to this area, spreading it 3 inches thick and digging. Then firm the soil, rake, and replace the grass.

fertilize

An easier method is to drill holes in the same area, 12 to 18 inches deep and spaced approximately 15 inches apart. Fill each hole with a commercial fertilizer (made up of bone meal, tank, peat or humus) plus chemicals, in a formula containing 10% nitrogen, 6% phosphoric acid, and 4% potash.

Due to perspiration from a tree, especially on hot summer days, lawns and sample trees should be watered at least every 10 days in summer to avoid problems. Since the roots are deep, light watering will not do. The hose or sprayer should be used for at least one hour.

If the soil is compacted, loosen it with a fork. For a large tree, place or drill several 1 1/2 inch holes 3 to 5 inches deep and 3 feet apart under the outer branches. Use a canvas hose or cover it with a jute bag and let the water run.

planting new trees

When planting new trees or small trees, if you put a few pieces of drain tile in the hole and hose down these, you can ensure that the water reaches the ground. Cover the holes in the drain tiles with stones to prevent evaporation.

Certain trees will not live long if a soil fill is placed over their roots, or if a deck of asphalt, stone, brick, or concrete pavers is placed over their feeder roots. Large and valuable trees must be protected with drainage tiles to allow them to receive water and air. The bark must be protected from filler dirt directly against it. You can buy metal tree wells, 3 to 7 feet wide and 1 to 3 feet high, or build a masonry wall.

The wall can be finished off with a brick circle or a low wall to make additional seating on the deck. If you have any surface other than grass or dirt around the tree, make sure it doesn't extend to the tree's outer feeding roots and leave a natural dirt circle around the trunk. This can be planted.

Take care of your trees when injuries occur instead of waiting to call in a tree surgeon and allow a weak spot to go untreated. Remove all dead, decayed, diseased, or injured bark.

Do this by removing the entire branch or, on a large branch or log, scoop out the decayed matter, sterilizing and waterproofing the cut surfaces with creosote and liquid tar.

White paint or lead is not that great to use as it will not seal when used on wet surfaces. Fill deep wounds with concrete. Use pruning hooks with care, avoiding bruising.