Sauk County Gardener: Fall: The best time to plant a tree
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” ~Chinese proverb
At my daughter’s wedding this past weekend, a portion of the service was a tree-planting ceremony. Prior to the event, my daughter was asking me what I suggested for a tree. I recommended a ginkgo tree. Its leaves symbolize peace, hope, love and duality. In my opinion, a perfect tree for a wedding tree-planting ceremony. However, the main reasons I suggested the tree is because of its longevity and incredible endurance. The tree can live for 1,000 years and speaking of endurance, there are four ginkgo trees that survived the bombing of Hiroshima and are still growing today. It also has beautiful yellow, fall color, is drought and pest resistant, and incredibly strong. Although it can grow to about 80 feet tall, it’s a slow grower and its hardy in our planting zone. Also, not everyone plants one and if we can do anything to avoid creating a monoculture of trees (ie. everyone planting a maple), all the better. (They didn’t end up using a ginkgo for the ceremony, but that was because it only had a few leaves, so it was a little sad-looking for the event.)
Fall is a great time to plant trees. Trees play an important part in our environment. They help improve our air quality, prevent water runoff, provide protection and food for wildlife, conserve energy by shading our buildings, and can increase the value of homes. Trees truly help balance our ecosystem. Unfortunately, many times trees are planted improperly, preventing them from surviving and thriving for years to come.
Planting a tree in the fall allows them all winter to grow a better root system, better than any other time of the year. Planning is key to planting a tree. Do your research and select the right tree for your yard. It should be hardy in our area and your soil and should not get bigger than the space you are planning to grow it. Take into consideration color and type. Consider selecting a tree that can provide interest all year long – flowers in the spring, shade in the summer, beautiful fall color, and food for the birds in the winter.
Before you start digging your planting area, take some time to select the proper location for your new tree. If you’re planting a tall tree or shrub, don’t plant them under power lines unless you want the road crews to give them a bad haircut or top them in the future. Also avoid areas where the roots can get into septic systems. It’s also recommended to call digger’s hotline before you start digging, especially if it’s in an area of your yard where you haven’t dug before.
Also take a few minutes to figure out how deep and wide you need to dig. Many times, people dig and plant the tree too deep. The planting area should not be any deeper than the tree’s pot or ball and burlap (B&B). The width of the area should be three times the width of the root ball. Dig a saucer-shaped area and gently place the tree in the hole. Avoid lifting the tree by its trunk. Carefully remove the pot or cut away the wire basket and remove the burlap if it’s a B&B. Also remove any twine or tags. Inspect the top of the root area and remove any soil above the root flare. Grab your pruners and cut off any roots that are encircling as they can eventually girdle the tree if they are allowed to grow in a circle. Also, prune any roots that might be above the root collar. At this point, the tree should be in the hole with the root collar above the soil level no more than one to two inches. Backfill the hole with the soil, gently, but firmly packing the soil around the root ball. Thoroughly water the tree and stake. Remove the stakes after a year. Keep the tree watered; a five-gallon pail of water with some holes drilled in the bottom works great. Mulch the planting area with wood chips but avoid creating the mulch “volcano” that so many people do.
Take the time to plant a tree and you can enjoy shade and fall color in the years to come. Remember, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. As that’s not possible, how about planting one today.
Jeannie Manis is a Wisconsin-certified Sauk County Master Gardener volunteer. If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-355-3250.
