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Choosing a tree depends on what its use will be, as well as the particular climate in which you live. Will it lend itself appropriately to your zone? Each tree will grow at a certain rate of speed; this also needs to be taken into account. How long are you willing to wait for a fully developed tree? Do you want "airy" foliage through which the sun can peek? Also, do you need large or dense foliage for shade? These choices will determine whether grass or flowers will grow under their shade. The roots of certain trees need to be carefully thought about; long, invasive roots may damage plumbing or inhibit planting of flowers and shrubs. Taking all of this under supposition will be helpful in the end.
The Time to Plant
Start by reviewing the zone where you live. Ask the local garden nursery for advice on your zone. Trees that are potted can be set out most anytime. In milder winter climates, winter is the best time, when trees are dormant. Trees that shed annually (deciduous) may be moved in early spring or late autumn in zone 6-7. There are trees that need to be planted in spring, such as the birch, flowering dogwood, magnolia, redbud, and the tulip tree. Evergreens can be moved or planted in early spring or early autumn. When planted in a container, anytime is appropriate. North, which is zone 5, requires spring planting for deciduous trees and plants. Evergreens need a long, cool, and moist growing season and should be planted in late August or in the spring.
Notable Flowering Trees
Chinese Kousa Dogwood
Weeping Higan Cherry
Crape-Myrtle
Mimosa (silk tree)
Crab-Apple (Floribunda)
Flowering Dogwood
Scholar-Tree
Saucer Magnolia
Golden Chain
Franklinia
Fast Growing Shade Trees
Japanese Poplar
Wiers Cutleaf Maple
Weeping Willow
Red Maple
Decorative Trees with Unique Characteristics and Brilliant Foliage
Redleaf Japanese Maple
Newport Purpleleaf Plum
Fernleaf Beech
Crimson King Maple
Copper Beech
Trees with Attractive Bark
Cutleaf European Birch
American Beech
Paper or Canoe Birch
Paperbark Maple Korean Stewartia
Some trees may prove bothersome for various reasons as described below:
White Willow: the roots of these trees tend to clog water and drain pipes.
American Elm is prone to disease.
Carolina Poplar: roots obstruct drainpipes and water lines.
White Poplar: shoots from the roots or stems continually overrun the lawn, and the roots clog drain pipes and tiles.
Silver Maple Hefty limbs have a tendency to break and fall; the roots are rapid spreading.
The Size to Buy
It is best to buy the trees to be planted from a nursery because starting them from seed is a long procedure. Very large trees are expensive. Young trees with dense roots that are well developed will transplant most easily. The growing process will commence without difficulty, generally, and have the least shock and setback. Strangely enough, after a few years, the younger trees often catch up with the older transplanted trees. Large trees and all evergreens are moved with a ball of soil compacted, and the roots grow within.
The dormant, leafless, deciduous trees, in bare-root state, are the most reasonable to buy. These trees have been removed from the soil in late fall, and all of the loam has been dislodged from their roots and has been placed in storage. They are warehoused in a moist, cool, and dark area where they remain in an inactive state as far as growth. When planted, they start to grow immediately. The highest in cost are the larger trees.
If you require a larger shade tree that has obtained a few years of growth, then a good size in dormant bare rootstock is 8-10 feet. The trunk is about 1 ½ inches in diameter. This particular tree is strong and will not be easily damaged.
Potted trees make the job easier since they are easy to lug around. Potted trees can be transplanted most any time during the year. The roots are protected because of being compressed into protective containers and should not be injured.
Very large trees need to be moved with large spheres of earth. The ball of earth must have a satisfactory number of viable roots that have been pruned for over a year before the transplanting date. Employees at nurseries have the knowledge and expertise to prepare the tree for moving.
Planting
If it will be awhile before planting your tree, then lay it horizontally in a shallow ditch and cover the roots with damp soil. If the tree is deciduous and dormant, it may be stored for days in a cool, dark place. Cover the roots with moistened material. If the planting takes place in only one day, soak the roots in water for that time.
The hole must be prepared carefully. Make the hole at least 1 foot wider and deeper than the size of the present root system. The best soil should be at the bottom and should be firm. This is where the roots begin growing initially, and they need good earth. Add fertilizer and moist peat moss with some good topsoil to the hole to facilitate good drainage. Plant food should be incorporated according to the rate recommended on the package.
The tree will have a soil line from previous planting; the tree needs to be placed no deeper than the original soil line. Fill in good soil around the roots. With leftover soil, make a crest or ridge around the edge of the hole to help retain water.
Trees grown in containers need to be removed from the pots before planting. The roots need to be left intact and compacted with soil. A balled tree with burlap, after being placed in the hole, should have the burlap loosened and shoved down around the sides of the hole; it should decompose in the soil after awhile. Wind will affect trees. As they bend in the wind, the roots can be loosened. Any tree 2 inches in circumference or more should be secured after planting. Place the stake while the hole is yet to be filled; this will avoid the possibility of driving the stake through the roots. Fasten the stakes to the trees using an old garden hose with the wire laced through it; this will keep the wire from cutting into and damaging the tree.
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