Post on 06-Dec-2021
• Fillholewithoriginalsoil.
• Removeburlapandwirebasket.
• Keepmulch6inchesfromtrunk.
• Mulch3to4inchesdeep.
• Makesuretrunkflareisaboveground.
• Floodpartiallybackfilledholewithslow-runninghose.
• Loosenandspreadoutroots.
• Spreadrootsonfirmsoiltopreventsettling.
• Digwide,shallowholeatleast2timesthewidthofrootspread.
Illustration Copyright © Robert O’Brien
PlantaTree
Select the right place for your treeConsidersoilconditions,exposuretosunandwind,humanactivity,drainage,hardinesszoneandspaceconstraints.Mostrootsgrowinthetop4to18inchesofsoilandfarbeyondthedripline.Howmuchspacewillyourtreeneedaboveandbelowgroundwhenitismature?
Righttree,Rightplace,Rightway
For more information:Landscape Plants for Alaska: www.alaskaplants.org
Trees are Good: www.treesaregood.org/treecare/treecareinfo.aspxCommunity Forestry (see publications and resources): http://forestry.alaska.gov/community
Care for your tree• Watertreesduringthefirstfiveyearsafterplantingifsoil4inchesdownisdry.
• Apply,asneeded,2to4gallonsofwaterforeachinchofcaliper,twiceaweek.Forexample,givea2-inchcalipertree4to8gallonstwiceweeklyduringthegrowingseason.Waterslowlyuntilsoilismoisttoadepthof12inches.
• Iftreeisstaked,checktiesregularlytobesurethetrunkisnotdamaged.Removetiesafteronegrowingseasonorassoonasrootsarewellanchored.
• Mostlandscapetreesdowellwithlittleornofertilizer.Useonlyifsymptoms,suchaslittlegrowth,indicateaneed.First,besuresymptomsarenotduetoothercauses,suchastreeisplantedtoodeeporneedsmorefrequentwatering.
• Ifsymptomsindicateaneed,applyslowreleasefertilizerinspring,earlysummerorlatefallandfollowproductdirections.Don’tfertilizeastressedtree.
• Donotusede-icingsaltneartreerootsorwhereitwilldrainintotherootzone.Remember,rootsspreadfarbeyondthedripline.
• Perennialsandshrubsmaybeplantedalongwiththetree,butdon’tplantannualsorbulbswhererepeateddiggingcandamageshallowtreeroots.Don’tplantanythingoverrootsofnewlyplantedtrees.
• Donotcompactthesoilorspreadadditionalsoilovertreerootsoraroundthetrunk.
• Keeplawnmowersandweedwhipsawayfromtreetrunkstoavoiddamage.Mulchreducestheneedforweedingneartrees.
• Improvethehealthofyourtreesbymaintainingalayerofmulch,3to4inchesdeeptothedriplineand6inchesawayfromthetrunk.Fallenleavesmaybeleftonthegroundtoserveasmulch.
• Contactaqualifiedarboristtoprunelargetreesorprovidespecialservices.HireonlyanISAcertifiedarboristwhoisinsuredandcanprovidereferences.
UAF Cooperative Extension Service1-877-520-5211www.uaf.edu/ces
Alaska Division of ForestryCommunity Forestry Program907-269-8465 / 907-269-8466The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer. The Community Forestry Program receives federal financial support through the USDA Forest Service.
UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution
(2-2012)All Illustrations Copyright © Robert O’Brien
Don’t:• Createshadewhereyouwant
sunlight.• Blockdesirableviews.• Plantwheresnowisstoredor
slidesfromroofs.• Encroachonneighboring
property.• Interferewithutilitylines,
poles,andtransformerboxes.
• Treesplantedtooclosetobuildingsandchimneysdropdebrisonroofsandarefirehazards.
• Avoidblockingtrafficsignsandsightlinesatintersectionsanddriveways.
• Treesplantedtooclosetogethercan’tachievematuresizeandshape.
• Givetreesspacetoreachmaturesizewithoutdamagingdriveways,streets,sidewalksortrails.
Select the right place for your tree
• Treeswithlargecanopiesinterceptrainandsnowfallandreducerunoffanderosion.
• Deciduoustreesonthesouthandwestallowsunshinethrough
inthewinterandprovideshadeinthesummer.
• Treeswithspringflowers,fallcolorandattractivebarkaccentlandscapes.
•Treesandshrubswithfruit,berriesandseedsprovidefoodforhumans,birdsandotheranimals.
•Evergreentreesplantedbetweenabuildingand
prevailingwindsserveasawindbreak.
Avoid sites where your tree will cause problems or be damaged
• Branchesformwideangleswithtrunk
•Brancheswell-spacedaroundtrunk
• Trunkflareabovesoil
• Rootsfillcontainerbutarenotpot-bound
•Noweeds
•Undersizedyellowleaves
•Weedsincontainer
•Rootscirclecontainerortrunk
•Competingleaders
• V-shaped,ornarrowanglesbetweentrunkandbranches
•Trunkwounds
Preferable
Plant it right• Prepareaplantingholethatencouragestherootstospreadandgrowintothe
surroundingsoil.
• Beforedigginghole,removealltwine,tagsandwrapfromaroundthetrunkandcutawayandremovethecontainer,wirebasketand/orburlap.
• Removevegetationandloosensoilinasaucer-shapedareaatleasttwotimesthespreadoftherootsandnodeeperthanheightfrombaseoftrunkflaretobottomofroots.Theholewillbewideandshallow.
• Separateandspreadtherootssothattheywillgrowoutintothesurroundingsoil.Prunerootsthatarediseased,damagedorcirclingthecontainerorrootball.
• Setthetreeintheholeonsolidgroundsothatitdoesnotsettle.Thetrunkflaremustbejustabovegroundlevel.
• Ifsoilisverypoororcompacted,youmaymixsometopsoilwithexistingsoil,creatingatransitiontosurroundingsoil.
• Usewatertosettlethesoilasyoubackfillin1/3increments.Donotcompactsoilordamagerootsbywalkingonwetsoil.
• Stakeonlyifneededtostabilizetheroots.
• Usesmooth,flexiblematerialthatallowssomemovementoftrunk.Removetieswithinoneyear.
Unacceptable
Good quality tree Poor quality tree
• Evergreensanddenseshrubsscreenundesirableviewsandcancreatewind-breaks.