Planting out newly acquired seedlings and young trees can benefit from careful consideration and treatment to make the most of your long term investment. Healthy plants, suitable for the site and handled with care will establish well and save you both time and money in the long term.
Prepare your site by eliminating unnecessary competition by clearing or spot spraying with herbicide. Handle seedlings carefully and as little as possible. If trees are supplied bare rooted and enclosed in plastic bags, keep them in their packaging with the bag closed to retain moisture, and avoid water loss by minimising exposure to wind and sun.
Cultivate an area 40cm x 40cm to a depth of 30cm before opening up a planting hole large enough to accept the roots and consider digging in some compost, before spreading the roots and placing the tree in the centre of the hole. Replace the earth around the roots and gently pull the plant through the fill approximately 10cm to ensure the roots are straight. Continue holding the top of the tree and firm the soil around the stem with the sole of your boots.
The junction between the stem and the roots is referred to as the collar of the tree and this should be kept at ground level. However in drought prone areas the tree can be set up to be 10cm deeper with a shallow hollow formed around the tree to retain moisture. Water well.
On low fertility soils slow release fertilisers can be added after planting, while if using soluble fertilizers allow 6-8 weeks before applying in a ring 20cms from the tree. Many South Island soils are deficient in the element boron, which can lead to inferior timber quality, growth deformities and terminal dieback, so it can pay to consult your local fertiliser representative to correct any possible soil deficiencies.
Covering the area around the tree with mulch is beneficial but do not pile it up around the trunk of the tree, and maintain the hollow mentioned earlier. Coarse bark, river gravel, rocks, coarse sawdust, old silage or cut material are all excellent mulches.
Your tree will grow stronger and have better branch development if allowed to hold its own against the elements so provide tree support or protection only if necessary.
The first two years after planting are critical for young trees. Good survival and growth are strongly dependent on sufficient soil moisture and protection from damaging agents. Keep an area approximately 0.5-1.0m around your tree free of grass by manual removal or herbicide spray as living grass roots exude a toxin which inhibits tree growth, while also competing for light, water and nutrients.
Finally, keep livestock and poultry out of plantings and check your seedlings regularly for damage from disease, insects or rodents, to allow corrective action to be taken quickly to minimise damage. A little care in the early years never hurt anyone.
Thanks to Appleton Nursery for detailed information provided for this article.
