By Lea Clark, GFC Urban Forestry Specialist
Happy Arbor Day Month!
Georgia’s Arbor Day is always the third Friday in February. Why so early? Because February is an ideal month to plant trees in Georgia. National Arbor Day is in April and by then, our trees are leafing out and enjoying the warm spring air. Trees are best planted when they are dormant, before spring leaves appear. Planting early in the year also gives the trees more time to send out roots that find water before the hot summer arrives.
Planting correctly gives the tree its best chance at a healthy life. Healthy trees are less likely to fail in winds or succumb to disease or insects. Healthy trees cost less overall than compromised trees, and they stay around longer for us to enjoy all their benefits.
What’s the most important thing to know about planting trees? To put the right tree in the right place! Are there overhead lines? Underground cables or pipes? All of those items make a difference. These five steps will give your new tree a healthy head start:
- Dig a hole as shallow and wide as you can without harming other tree roots. Think ahead to where roots will want to grow in the next five, 50, and 150 years and at least loosen that soil. Use a shovel to chop into the walls of the shallow hole to give the roots a way to stretch out. Clay is hard for roots to grow into.
- Ensure correct depth – the place where the trunk just begins to flare out into roots should be positioned at ground level. Too shallow or too deep will shorten the life of your tree.
- If the tree roots are wrapped in burlap, remove all the cloth, wire, plastic, and strings. Get rid of everything you can!
- If the tree is in a plastic container, use your fingers to loosen the roots so they aren’t wrapped around themselves in the shape of the container. Use a small blade if needed to slightly cut into very dense roots.
- Fill the hole with the same dirt that was previously dug out. Use your hands – or step lightly – to press the soil around the roots. Don’t stomp or jump! Get rid of air pockets but don’t compact the soil or the roots. Add two to four inches of organic (not rubber) mulch around the trunk, as big as you can. Leave the trunk some breathing room away from direct contact with the mulch. Try to have mulch covering everywhere the roots will spread in the next year or two. Refresh the mulch twice a year.
Newly planted trees are in shock. Wait for a growing season to pass before you give your tree any fertilizer. Test the soil first and see what is needed before you change the soil or add anything.
Last but certainly not least, be sure to water your new tree well during the first few years! This is especially important during dry, hot summers. If it hasn’t rained in a week or the tree is extra dry, give it a five-gallon bucketful of water, slowly, to let it soak in rather than run off.
Celebrate Arbor Day in Georgia statewide this month and don’t forget to pick up your very own shovel and dig!