Gardeners tips
■ When buying a tree,
make sure it has a straight
trunk and even branching.
Also check it's free of pests
and diseases - don’t forget
to look under the leaves.
■ Always read the label!
Double check the mature
height and spread of the
tree are suitable for the
size of your garden.
■ While you can’t examine
the root system of a tree in
a nursery, keep an eye out
for long roots extending
through the drainage holes
of the pot. This can indicate
that the tree has been
potted for a long time and
is possibly root-bound.
■ Don’t buy wilting trees
just because they're on
special. Always seek out
the best specimen you can
find, as this will give you
the most reliable results.
L
ike diamonds, trees are forever - or at least they
can be, if you treat them right. And that means
giving them ideal conditions from the start. The
perfect planting procedure may take a little extra time,
but considering trees ire expensive to buy, and you want
them to mature into beautiful specimens, think of it as a
good investment of your time and energy.
Get cracking
1
i
\
Now is a great time to plant a tree. The soil is still warm and, in
many districts, you also get the benefit of gentle rainfall to help
ease them into their new home. Also, trees planted in autumn
have the chance to establish their roots in damp soil through
winter, before they have to face up to a sizzling summer.
Perfect tree planting
GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES
■ Suitable tree
■ Long-handled spade
■ Large plastic sheet or tarp
■ Compost
YOU’LL ALSO NEED
Pelletised manure; scissors;
Forest Fines mulch; stake
HERE’S HOW
STEP 1
Water your new tree
thoroughly before you start
digging the planting hole.
STEP 2
Use a spade to remove
turf from planting area. Dig a
hole a little deeper than root ball
of tree, and twice as wide.
Spread soil from hole onto tarp
or plastic sheet, water hole
generously and leave to drain.
STEP 3
Mix excavated soil with
a generous quantity of compost.
This creates an improved soil
mix for backfilling hole.
STEP 4
Scatter a handful of
pelletised manure in base of
planting hole and cover lightly
with a little backfill soil.
STEP 5
Cut plastic bag away
from root ball. For potted trees,
tap around sides and base of pot
to loosen root ball, then carefully
remove. Gently tease out roots
on bottom. If there are any long
roots circling the root ball, tease
these out and prune back lightly
to encourage outward growth.
STEP 6
Position tree carefully in
hole. Using a stake or length of
wood, make sure top of root ball
is level with surrounding soil
surface. Planting new trees too
deeply can lead to waterlogging
of roots during heavy rain.
STEP 7
When tree is at right level,
backfill around it using improved
soil mix. Gently firm down soil to
ensure there are no air pockets.
STEP 8
Sprinkle more manure
over soil surface and water in well.
STEP 9
Add a layer of mulch
7-1 Ocm deep. Create a watering
well in centre, so no mulch is
piled up against trunk of tree.
Water again to saturate mulch.
fH3 In windy areas, hammer a
stake into soil surrounding root
ball and loosely tie tree trunk to it.
go to
bhg.com.au
for more planting advice
G ive you r n ew tree th e b e s t start in
84
Photography Jim Smith, Getty Images
