Tree Planting

Choosing a tree to go in your garden is a serious business. You might love the look of an Oak, but it’s a permanent fixture and it may eventually outgrow the space you allowed it.

Most trees are happy in your average soil but some prefer it wet and some hate it. Before you start, you will want to check your soil type. See my blog on how to test your soil.

Once you have established the soil, you need to take a look at the amount of space you have. There are many different types of tree canopy, some are wide and cast a lot of shade, some are narrow or weeping. Pace out the area and, if you can, loop a rope in the area you want to cover. When you have established how wide you want your canopy, you will need to work out the maximum height your tree could be. You may need to measure the shortest distance from your house to where you would like to plant your tree.

Check the sun at around midday, when you face towards it (don’t look at it!) you will be facing south. Behind you will be the shadow of the tree, bear in mind the shadow stretches at sunset and sunrise and will be longer in the winter. So, you need to make sure the shadow is in the best place for your garden.

After you have established how much space your tree can take up without shading your sun room and dropping leaves all over your neighbour, you are in the best place to choose the right one.

Trees are sold at garden centres, some supermarkets and there are specialist tree nurseries. The specialist nurseries will be able to give you all the advice you need to plant your tree, they have lots of valuable expertise and the trees are grown to their own specification, with attention paid in particular to the root ball. A garden centre will care for the tree in the same way they care for all their plants, but it won’t have specialist care. A supermarket tree will have little or no care. This is why there is a big difference in price.

Now you have chosen you tree and got it home, you need to plant it. If you can, sit the tree in a bucket of water while you dig a hole. The hole should be wider than the pot and very slightly deeper. This is to allow for some organic matter to be added, but the tree must not be planted deeper than the top of the root ball. The hole can be square or round, but rough up the sides to prevent the soil from compacting and preventing roots from penetrating.

You can put your tree in the ground and back fill. But do check the depth, it is much better for it to stand proud of the ground than be slightly lower.

If you have healthy soil, your tree will not need added feed, but you may wish to add it anyway. There are standard fish, blood and bone mixes that are fine, or you can get a specialist feed for trees and you can buy mycorrhizal fungi which will create a symbiotic relationship with the soil. The tree needs to be firmed in as you back fill to give it a strong base and prevent it from rocking too much.

You can add a stake or two. One is enough for a tree with a 20cm trunk, bashed in at a 45 degree angle, close to but not touching the tree and use a tree tie with a spacer to hold the tree. If you have a larger trunk, you may need 2 stakes, one either side of the tree to brace it against the prevailing wind.

Water your tree in well, and keep an eye on how wet the base is while the tree establishes.