CONTACT OWEN TREE AT:
CARING FOR TREES AND SHRUBS AFTER PLANTING
You've finished your planning and have planted the correct tree or shrub for the location and your landscaping purpose. Now, if you're like many people, you'll quickly forget about it, treating it as an established part of your landscape that can now survive on its own. Continuing care after planting is absolutely essential if the new tree or shrub is to thrive and your investment in it is to be protected.
New Trees Need Water
Trees should receive about 1 inch of water per week during the growing season for at least one to two years after planting. During hot and dry weather, it will be necessary to provide supplemental watering for the tree to continue establishing itself. Take care, as excessive watering is just as much a problem, and is probably responsible for killing more plants than too little water. To help monitor the need for irrigation, plant a drought-indicator plant in the root ball of the tree. Plants such as impatiens, coleus, and ajuga are known as drought-indicators because they will wilt quite noticeably and dramatically. If the indicator plant placed in the root ball has been in the shade for at least one hour and is still wilted, the tree should be watered.
Remove Grass and Weeds
Grass and weeds will draw up water, oxygen, and nutrients from the soil around your newly planted tree. Keep the area around the tree clear of grass and weeds to avoid depriving the tree. Cover the area with wood chips or bark mulch.
Use Wood Chips or Bark Mulch
The area under the canopy of the tree should be mulched to a depth of 2 to 4 inches. This will help to retain moisture for the tree and limit infiltration by grass and weeds, which compete for water and nutrients. Mulch also reduces the possibility of lawn mower damage. Take care not to place mulch directly against the trunk of the tree, but instead maintain a buffer area of 4 to 6 inches as mulch directly on the truck can promote the growth of fungi which are harmful to the tree.
Securing and Staking the Tree
Use wires and stakes to secure the tree only when necessary. Such cases would include the roots not being solid within the planting area, or when the tree is at risk from high winds. Usually, the root ball's weight should be sufficient to keep the tree in place, if it was correctly planted in the first place. When the tree needs to be secured, the wires should be run through a hose to protect the point of contact with the tree, with the wires connecting with the tree at about two-thirds the height of the tree. The wires should then be fastened to stakes securely planted into the ground. Even with the guy-line hose as protection, the threat of girdling remains. Accordingly, the wires and stakes should not be left in place for more than one year, and even removed earlier if they are causing problems for the tree.
● Leonard
Owen Tree Service provides tree, lawn, and landscape services to the following cities and towns:
Genesee County, Michigan:
● Burton
● Davison
● Flushing
● Goodrich
● Linden
● Otisville
● Clio
● Fenton
● Gaines
● Grand Blanc
● Montrose
● Otter Lake
● Flint
● Genesee
● Lennon
● Mt Morris
● Swartz Creek
Lapeer County, Michigan:
● Almont
● Brown City
● Columbiaville
● Imlay City
● Metamora
● Peck
● Attica
● Clifford
● Dryden
● Lapeer
● North Branch
● Sandusky
● Hadley
● Mayville
● Otter Lake
● Silverwood
Macomb County, Michigan:
● Armada
● Clinton Twp
● Grosse Pointe
● Macomb
● New Haven
● St Clair Shores
● Centerline
● Detroit
● Grosse Pointe Farms
● Ray
● Sterling Heights
● Chesterfield
● Eastpointe
● Grosse Pointe Shores
● Memphis
● Romeo
● Utica
● Clinton
● Fraser
● Grosse Pointe Woods
● Mt Clemens
● Roseville
● Warren
● Harrison Twp
● New Baltimore
● Shelby Twp
● Washington
Oakland County, Michigan:
● Auburn Hills
● Bloomfield Village
● Ferndale
● Orion
● South Lyon
● Berkley
● Clarkston
● Franklin
● Madison Heights
● Ortonville
● Southfield
● Beverly Hills
● Clawson
● Hazel Park
● Milford
● Oxford
● Troy
● Bingham Farms
● Commerce Twp
● Highland
● Novi
● Pleasant Ridge
● Walled Lake
● Birmingham
● Davisburg
● Holly
● Oak Park
● Pontiac
● Waterford
● Bloomfield
● Detroit
● Huntington Woods
● Oakland
● Rochester
● West Bloomfield
● Bloomfield Hills
● Farmington
● Lake Orion
● Oakland Twp
● Rochester Hills
● White Lake
● Farmington Hills
● Lathrup Village
● Orchard Lake
● Royal Oak
● Wixom
St. Clair County, Michigan:
● Algonac
● Casco
● East China
● Harbor Beach
● Lexington
● Peck
● Allenton
● Clay
● Emmett
● Harsens Island
● Marine City
● Port Huron
● Berlin
● Clyde
● Fair Haven
● Jeddo
● Marysville
● Richmond
● Brockway
● Columbus
● Fort Gratiot
● Kimball
● Memphis
● Sandusky
● Capac
● Cottrellville
● Goodells
● Lakeport
● North Street
● St Clair
