I want to Plant 4 trees. 3 White Spruce and 1 Norway Maple (all 6 foot high) all will be planted in Clay Soil and in Full Sun. I know not to plant the trees to deep or to high. I'm not sure how the trees will come. Either in a wire basket or wrapped in burlap or something else. Should i remove all materials that the rootball is secured by before they get planted? I know to make a wide enough hole to spread the main roots out to encourage the roots to grow. instead of leaving them in a circular pattern as they come in. Is there anything i should do to help the trees give it a boost when they have been planted? (ie. add fertillizer? <what kind>, mix in better soil? <what kind>, etc.) Any experienced help would be great. Thanks
Wide shallow holes, no deeper than rootballs. Take away all wire, burlap, twine and nails. Refill with same soil that came out of holes, without modification. Mulch after planting and keep moist. Stake for one year if seem likely to lean or blow over before then. Fertilize if indicated by soil test. Norway maple is a pest species in much of North America, you may wish to check on its behavior in your region before planting another one. Even here where it is not commonly seen as and known to be an invasive nuisance there are nevertheless some appalling infestations on at least a few sites - despite our dry summers. Other bad actors under eastern North American conditions still in mass production by large nurseries there include Japanese barberry and winged euonymus.
Why this caveat? Refill with same soil that came out of holes, without modification. Sometimes the soil is so poor that it would seem prudent to modify. I know this is standard procedure, but I usually work up the soil and add a little compost and usually a bit of sand if available. My basic soil is packed clay. Here is my typical procedure, when planting any tree. I have two that I planted over the last three years and they are both thriving. Comment please. http://aejahep.notlong.com/ 26 May 2008 Planting Redhaven peach Tree. A Redhaven peach tree was purchased today and planted. Method is shown in pictures. This is probably an ideal method for most trees, usually I make a circle, but the soil was so hard and packed, that I utilized a rectangle. Total time about three hours from start to finish.
The transition between modified soil & clay soil for planted stock has been known to act as a imprenatrable boundary for the roots & the planting hole essentially becomes a big clay pot. By refilling with the native soil, ableit less packed down, the roots are more likely to venture out into the clay. Even if the native soil is poor, modifying the soil in a 4 or 5 foot diameter hole is pointless for a tree that will have a root zone diameter of 60' when mature.
Yes: It will have to be able to grow in the existing soil anyway. However, the main issue with pit planting (liberally amended or entirely replaced backfill) is how it affects the movement of water into and out of the zone of modified backfill. An amended planting hole dug out of a damp, heavy soil may even act as a sump, receiving and collecting water to the point of suffocating the roots of the newly planted specimen. Under dry conditions the opposite may occur, the finer textured unmodified soil around the amended planting hole having a greater attraction for water with the result that the new plant is repeatedly subject to drought stress and even wilting or death. Often new plants dawdle and fail to root outside of amended planting holes for the above reasons rather than an inability to penetrate claylike soils. In those instances where vigorous stock is able to survive the conditions produced by the amending and get to the walls of the hole top growth improves markedly once the unmodified existing soil outside of the prepared planting hole is penetrated. This produces the false impression that the amending of the planting hole backfill was beneficial - the plants lived and even did well after the planting hole was escaped by the roots. Where existing soil is unsuitable for trees and shrubs it is necessary to excavate and replace with more suitable soil over a large enough area for the new plants to be growing in the replacement soil for a long time - and not subject to any water-movement related problems that may be occurring at the margin of the bed. Or, better soil can be placed on top of the existing soil and the new plants placed in that.
