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The new recommendations describe preparing a planting area rather than digging a planting hole. This is based on a new understanding of tree root systems. The active feeding roots of a tree are much shallower than once thought and the roots extend far beyond the drip line of the tree.
So instead of preparing a small planting hole, prepare a large planting area by spading or tilling the top 8 1/2 inches of soil of at least 1 and 1/2 times of the root ball. The larger the area you can spade, the better.
One of the most common problems is planting the trees to deeply. Many community foresters now feel that it is better to plant a tree slightly higher than it was planted at the nursery and mound soil to the top of the root ball with the surface of the ground where it is to be planted.
Unless the soil contains mostly building rubble, it is not necessary to add any organic material to the back fill. Amending the soil in a planting hole surrounds the roots with a different (usually friendlier) kind of soil than that outside the hole creating a thing kind of like a "pot" that constrains root growth. While a newly planted tree may appear to do well, signs of decline may appear 6 to 10 years after when the tree becomes to bound in the planting "pot".
The most important thing to point out is that fertilizer is not "food". Trees make their own food during photosynthesis. Fertilizers can supply some essential elements necessary for growth but these elements do not provide energy.
Do not fertilize a newly planted tree, either by placing fertilizer into the planting area or by broadcasting it on the surface after planting. Nitrogen fertilizer may burn tree roots if too much is used. Another fact is that fertilizing a newly planted tree may cause the crown of the tree to grow faster than the roots can supply water. If a fertilizer is necessary (a soil test can determine this) then wait until the next growing season before you apply the fertilizer.
Previous recommendations suggested pruning enough leaves and branches before planting to bring the size of the crown in proportion to the size of the root ball. It was also suggested that when transplanting a tree with leaves on, pruning the crown might reduce water loss through transpiration. However, new recommendations are to prune only dead or broken branches, or those that cross one another. Leaves make the food needed by all other parts of the tree, including the roots. Pruning healthy branches at planting time reduces the food making capability of the tree and the amount of energy going to the root growth. Pruning young trees can be important to control size or shape. However, it is better to wait until the second or third growing season to begin a pruning program.
If you want to start a lively discussion among nursery professionals in Nebraska, ask for their recommendations on tree wrap-that paper or plastic coil placed around the trunks of young trees. Almost all evidence for or against wrapping trees is anecdotal. There has been very little research conducted in the Great Plains on the effectiveness of tree wrap.
Proponents of wrapping argue wrap protects thin young bark during shipping and planting, minimizes mechanical and rodent damage, and protects the tree from sun scald and frost cracks that occur with sudden changes in weather.
However, opponents of tree wrap are equally adamant that trees should be wrapped only during shipping and planting, and the wrap should be removed immediately after the tree is planted. They argue not only is the wrap unnecessary, but it may do more harm than good.
For example, tree wrap may hold water against the trunk of the tree too long, killing the bark and cambium. Research also has shown that wrap can actually aggravate insect and disease problems. Finally, there is chlorophyll in the trunk. Covering the trunk can reduce photosynthetic capability at a time when a young tree needs it the most.
So, should you use tree wrap on your new tree? The Nebraska Forest Service recommends against the routine use of the tree wrap, except to reduce mechanical damage when a tree is being moved and planted, or when the species is known to be susceptible to frost cracks or sun scald.
The new recommendations describe preparing a planting area rather than digging a planting hole. This is based on a new understanding of tree root systems. The active feeding roots of a tree are much shallower than once thought and the roots extend far beyond the drip line of the tree.