The right way to plant a tree
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Hi, guys!
Happy Passover to those who celebrate!
National Arbor Day is Friday, so let’s go over the right way to plant a tree. It’s not rocket science, but it is a little more involved than digging a hole and plopping it in.
But first, a little backstory. Arbor Day has its roots in 1872 when a Nebraska newspaper editor and tree lover named J. Sterling Morton proposed a day dedicated to tree planting in his home state. That year, April 10 was the first organized Arbor Day, and about a million trees were planted there, with contests held and prizes awarded to counties and homeowners who planted the most trees.
Two years later, Nebraska Gov. Robert Furnas officially proclaimed April 10 the state’s Arbor Day.
Not to be outdone, other states soon jumped on board, and in 1970, President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day.
Each state also has its own Arbor Day, which coincides with the best time to plant trees in its climate, and some, like my home state of New York, coincide with National Arbor Day.
When planting a tree, it’s important to:
Select the right tree for the right place. Consider your hardiness zone, soil type, natural moisture levels, sunlight exposure and the tree’s mature size, ensuring it will not grow into obstacles like overhangs and electrical wires or interfere with underground utilities.
Dig a hole. Make the hole twice as wide as the tree’s root ball and exactly as deep.
Enrich the soil. Mix an equal amount of compost or well-rotted manure with the soil you removed from the planting hole.
Place the tree. Carefully remove the tree from its container and place it in the center of the hole.
Backfill. Fill the hole with the soil-compost mixture, tamping it down occasionally to remove air pockets. Do not mound soil up against the tree’s trunk. (Find another use for the remaining backfill).
Water and mulch. Apply water slowly to thoroughly moisten the soil, then add a 2-3-inch layer of mulch over the roots, taking care not to allow the mulch to come into contact with the trunk (keep mulch at least 3 inches away from the trunk). Never mound mulch up against the trunk in “volcano” fashion. Over time, the practice will kill your tree.
Maintain. During the first year (not the first growing season, but the first year), regularly water the tree, more so during dry periods and heat waves, as the roots work to become established. Going forward, some trees will always require supplemental watering; others will only need to be watered during hot or dry spells. Familiarize yourself with the species’ requirements.
📬 Ask Jessica
DEAR JESSICA: An invasive weed suddenly started growing in the lawn a few years ago. Last year, I hired someone to put down weed killer and fertilize, and I was charged more than $100 for each visit. However, the weed with tiny white flowers is still rampant in the lawn and garden. Is there a weed killer that will get rid of it? Hand-pulling is not practical for me. —Barbara Obstgarten
DEAR BARBARA: After a bit of back and forth with you via email, I’ve determined that you are likely dealing with common chickweed.
The weed is best pulled up by its roots early in the season before they anchor firmly into the ground. If you are unable to remove it manually, the next best tactic is to make the lawn inhospitable to it.
Chickweed thrives in moist, compacted, alkaline soil with a high nitrogen content. Its favored breeding ground is an irrigated lawn that is fertilized regularly and gets routine lime applications.
I would aerate the soil and avoid using fertilizer and lime for the remainder of the season. Reduce irrigation, too, opting for deep, less-frequent watering over more frequent, shallow sessions.
Oftentimes, landscapers (and some homeowners) will automatically apply ground limestone every year without testing the soil to confirm whether it’s actually warranted. This can raise the soil’s pH too much, harming the lawn and encouraging the weed.
You should see a smaller population emerge next spring.
If you are not happy with the results and remain intent on a perfect lawn, selective, post-emergent herbicides that target common chickweed are available. I encourage you to read labels carefully and observe all safety precautions.
But I’d rather see you accept some weeds than expose yourself, the environment and the groundwater to unnecessary chemicals.
Got a gardening question? Ask it here.
💡 If you do one thing this week…
Plant a tree. Consider one that’s native to your region. One of my favorites is Allegheny serviceberry (Amalanchier laevis), which is native to Eastern North America and hardy in zones 4-7.
To find out which trees (and plants) are native to your area, plug your zip code into this Audubon Society tool and narrow the selection by plant type (the database will also tell you which native birds each plant supports).
👏 Sunday shoutout
Robert E. Gardner, Jr., writes: “My pussy willow is starting to bloom. This plant is in a pot. I took a cutting from a wild bush in the woods a couple of years ago, and it took! Happy Spring!”
Send in your photo, and you could be featured next (bonus points if you’re in the picture!)
📰This week in my Associated Press gardening column
I write a weekly gardening column for the AP, so you might have seen my byline in your local paper (or news website) — wherever in the world you happen to be. In case you miss it, I’ll post the most recent here every week.
THIS WEEK: Foodscaping: If your vegetable garden is too small for all the plants you want to grow, why not slip them into the flower garden? This is worth considering even if you’re not short on space - it’s a unique and often beautiful way to dress up your beds and borders.
BEFORE THAT: How to care for potted lilies, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring gift plants
ONE MORE: Not all vegetables are annuals. Here are some that come back every year.
You can read all my AP gardening columns here.
📚📺🎵 Random things I enjoyed this week
😺 My daughter hosted a birthday brunch for her cat. The cat hid under the bed the whole time, but the humans had fun!
📺 I finished Curb Your Enthusiasm, which I’m going to miss a lot.
📺 Baby Reindeer on Netflix is absolutely riveting. The limited series about a man who is stalked by an off-kilter woman is based on a true story — and the real-life victim plays himself.
This newsletter runs on coffee
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I put a lot of time and effort into researching, writing and producing this newsletter every week—as well as paying for deployment and hosting—and I couldn’t do it without your support.
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I welcome your comments and suggestions, so please send them along — as well as any topics you’d like to see covered and questions you’d like answered in the Ask Jessica section.