Strategies for successful tree planting this winter

When I plant a tree, I expect it to be there for 100 years… or more! That doesn’t always happen. We planted a tulip poplar in 1979 and it grew beautifully into an 80-foot tree but was blown down, completely uprooted, during Hurricane Michael. In retrospect, I believe the tree would still be standing if we had not planted it in the open where it stood all by itself, exposed to Michael’s wind gusts.

We should have planted it a mere 20 feet away at the edge of the existing urban woodland that we maintain along the canopy road on Centerville Road. The trees clustered together in this piece of woods – winged elm, swamp chestnut oak, black cherry, live oak – all stood together, protecting each other.

Choosing a tree

There are so many trees from which to choose. When you visit a plant nursery, have an idea of the amount of sunshine you have in your yard and how large you would like the tree to grow in the future.

Also, dig down into the soil and be able to describe the texture of the soil – very sandy, heavy clay, loamy clay, rich dark soil, and so on. Does the spot where you want to plant collect water after rainfall? Different trees have different soil, moisture, and light requirements.

A guide to proper tree planting. Illustration by Native Nurseries of Tallahassee. (Photo: Native Nurseries)

Planting a tree

By far the biggest mistake people make in tree planting is digging a hole too deep and burying the roots too deeply. This will cause the tree to decline over time and eventually die. Dig a very wide but shallow hole, only deep enough so the root ball is planted slightly higher than the ground.

Unfortunately, this problem is exacerbated by the sometimes shoddy work that happens at some wholesale nurseries. Often the trees are planted too deeply in the pots when transplanted from small pots to larger pots.

It is very important to scrape the soil away from the top of the root ball until you reach the first side root of the tree. There may be an inch or even two of soil to remove depending on how many times the tree has been transplanted during the growing process. The root flare should be placed slightly above the ground level.

Volunteers helped plant more than 165 trees in the Apalachee Regional Park in honor of Arbor Day. (Photo: Courtesy Leon County)

The best time to plant a tree is during winter. Florida’s Arbor Day is always scheduled in the prime planting time of January. Trees are dormant in winter and will not require as much watering as ones planted in the warmer months.

We often think that bigger is better, but in the case of trees, I believe you can achieve greater success by planting smaller trees. I have noticed that bare root seedlings of native trees when planted in winter are particularly robust. Their roots have never been confined in containers. Younger trees in three-gallon containers and seven-gallon containers have had less time to become root bound and, when planted correctly, grow very quickly.

What do scientists have to say about this? Researchers at the University of Florida advise that if irrigation cannot be provided for the recommended period after planting, smaller nursery stock should be planted to ensure survival. UF also reports that because small trees establish more quickly, they are better able to compete with weeds and they become wind-firm sooner than larger nursery stock, which is important in storms.

Another mistake many folks make is piling pine straw or leaf mulch up around the trunk of the tree. Use a four foot diameter of mulch, but keep it away from the trunk to avoid causing fungus issues. If you use a maintenance service, hold them accountable if they weed whack the base of the trunk. Spread enough mulch around the tree to keep mowers away from the trunk.

Water is important for success. Water regularly, several times per week if possible in the heat of the first summer, then move towards once per week, and then as needed. The tree will need to be watered through droughts for the first few years until it becomes established.

As more development occurs in Leon County, consider choosing native trees, especially if you are concerned about habitat for birds and other wildlife. The latest research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and reported on Smithsonian.com, shows how quickly songbird populations fall off when neighborhoods are planted primarily with non-native trees and shrubs.

Native plants produce many more caterpillars and other insects which birds feed their young. The study concluded that in areas made up of less than 70 percent native plants, Carolina chickadees will not produce enough young to sustain their populations. At 70 percent or higher, the birds can thrive.

Something you can do at home to affect positive ecological change is to plant native trees and shrubs. This does not mean that everything in your yard must be native.

In our yard we try to increase the percentage of native plants every year. When the old rose of Sharon aged out and died, we replaced it with a blue beech tree. When we removed all the invasive nandinas, we replaced them with Florida anise, agarista, needle palm, bluestem palmetto and American beautyberry.

One section of sunny lawn became a butterfly pollinator garden. What was once 100 percent non-native (except for the pines and oaks), 27 years later is closer to 90 percent native. The Carolina chickadees are very happy!

Garden to Table: Garlic Chive Pesto!!

My current favorite pesto recipe! We have some pretty garlic chives and Italian parsley in stock. The weather is changing and gives inspiration to try new things.

-Norma

Ingredients

1 hearty bunch of garlic chives
1  good handful of parsley
¼ cup cashews
¼ to ½ cup olive oil, depending on the consistency you like
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup parmesan or romano cheese or nutritional yeast to keep it vegan
Pinch or two of salt

Method

Throw it all in the food processor and enjoy. If you want it really garlicky, add a clove
of garlic.

Common Plant Mistakes

Pinterest frustrates me. Garden magazines often do too. As an experienced gardener, it’s frustrating to see “projects” that will certainly lead to failure. I often have the same reaction when I walk through the garden center of a large box store. I see cacti that require full sun and arid climates being sold in humid Florida, or even worse as indoor plants for your desk or table. I also see planters with inadequate or non-existent drainage. It’s disappointing because I know young or inexperienced gardeners will end up with dead plants and believe it’s their fault. I see it often with customers and friends who easily get discouraged and give up on gardening completely. I am writing this article because I want you to know that a dead plant is often not your fault. You may have fallen victim to misleading marketing. If that’s the case, I hope this will give them the courage to try again with realistic expectations. So here are the most common misconceptions and mistakes I see:

1. Most plants don’t belong indoors. This is by far the most common misunderstanding I see on the internet and in magazines. Unless you have the appropriate grow lights, most plants slowly decline and die when you attempt to grow them inside. This includes herbs, vegetables, and most succulents and cacti. If you have a very sunny, south-facing window, you may be able to grow some of these with marginal success, but most indoor situations do not have enough light to meet their needs. The only plants suited to grow indoors are ones we already consider houseplants, and many of them also require a sunnier location near a window. If you want a healthy plant for your desk or countertop, you can choose from a variety of houseplants that have low light requirements. These are mostly plants that evolved in tropical understories and have attractive foliage year-round, but few have showy flowers.

2. Using the wrong sized container. A common mistake is choosing a pot that is too small. When you pick out a plant, find out what its mature size and growth rate are. Fast growing annuals will need more space right away. Slow growing evergreens might not. Water requirements also come into play; thirsty tomato plants require more soil to hold the ample water and nutrients they need, while cacti and succulents can be grown in smaller pots because they have such low water and nutrient requirements.

3. Most plants require adequate drainage. Some plants are able to grow (for a while) with bare roots in water alone, but if you are growing them in soil without any or adequate drainage, bacterial and fungal growth will eventually kill the plant even if you are watering lightly. Smaller pots should have a drain hole at least the size of a nickel, and larger pots will need several larger holes. If you don’t want your plant damaging the table or porch beneath it, use a saucer or set the well-drained planted pot inside a larger pot without drainage. You will need to take the planted pot out when watering, so water doesn’t pool at the bottom. I keep a lot of my houseplants in ugly, but well drained plastic pots and set them into attractive baskets or cache pots (pots without holes). I gather them in the sink or bathtub to water them thoroughly every few weeks. I also like to set them out in the rain, which has naturally occurring nitrogen to fuel new growth. I make sure to set them in a shady spot outside though, or bring them in before the sun returns to avoid burning their leaves.

4. Over fertilizing. It’s easy to kill a plant with too much fertilizer, especially when using chemical or liquid fertilizers. Established trees and shrubs usually don’t require any fertilizer unless they’re growing in very poor soil. We are blessed with nutrient rich Tallahassee clay and plentiful nitrogen-rich rain showers to provide for them. Likewise, healthy lawns rarely benefit from fertilization. An unhealthy or patchy lawn has underlying problems like too much shade, compacted soil, disease or pest issues that won’t be fixed by fertilization. Over fertilizing is a waste of money and contributes to unhealthy algae growth in our beautiful rivers and springs and can actually stress, and even kill your plants. I fertilize my vegetable garden with organic, slow-release fertilizer, like Espoma Garden-tone, that feeds the soil and my plants. I also fertilize my houseplants lightly during the summer months with liquid fish and seaweed emulsion. Otherwise I just put them out for an occasional rainstorm which provides nitrogen.

Don’t give up on your plant projects – they can be a lot of fun! Just be sure you understand the requirements of the plants involved before you get started, and know that what you see online and in magazines might not be successful in real life. Stop into a local nursery and talk with their knowledgeable staff to answer your questions and plan your project. Reviving your green thumb is worth the extra effort, growing plants can improve your quality of life. They clean toxins from our air and improve the aesthetics of our rooms and yards, but the best benefit is the fulfillment and excitement of watching a living thing thrive and flourish under your care.