Arizona SEO Blogger

Recently I read an interesting article about SEO bloggers who had posted favorite recipes for their readers. As a spin off of that, I would like to post an article for my fellow SEOs on how to plant a tree.

Trees have the potential to live longer than any other form of life. You might want to get a plaque and dedicate your special tree to someone you love.

Moderate temperatures make fall the perfect season for planting all evergreens and many other trees. It is not the best time to plant palm trees. Fall planting allows more time than spring planting for root systems to establish before soaring summer temperatures demand high water intake to survive. Bear in mind however, that frost tender species may need to be protected during extended periods of below freezing temperatures.

1. Select a site that is large enough to accommodate the mature size of the tree. Tree roots will spread two to four times the width of the canopy in all directions if soil, moisture, and oxygen are available. The health of a tree has a direct relation to the volume of soil that is occupied by the roots.

2. Select your new tree with care.

3. Plan your irrigation. Envision your legacy tree with a vast network of fine absorbing roots extending in all directions two to four times the width of the canopy.
If you have less space than that, plan to irrigate all available soil to a depth of two to three feet. Flood irrigation, which can be accomplished with bubblers and berms that you extend as the tree grows, or a sprinkler system that is programmed to run for several consecutive short cycles to minimize run off, will work. For more accurate water application with no run off, correctly spaced rows of Netafim is ideal. See www.netafimusa.com for details. Typical drip emitter installation close to the trunk is only to wet the root ball during the establishment period. It is pathetically inadequate for long-term tree maintenance, unless puny trees with a short life span are the goal.

4. Measure the root ball depth. Before measuring the root ball, gently remove soil surrounding the trunk until you can see the flare where the major structural roots emanate from the trunk. Dig a hole at least twice as wide, but not one inch deeper than the root ball. If in doubt, plant the tree a couple of inches above grade- never below grade!
The sides of the hole should be rough and sloping. Support the tree from beneath the root ball as you carefully lower it into the hole. Back fill with native soil only. Excess soil can be used to create a berm beyond the canopy. Do not add it to the top of the root ball. Place three to four inches of wood chips on the soil surface, but do not allow them to touch the trunk.

5. Remove nursery stakes. Restake only if your tree cannot stand up straight. Moving with the wind triggers the release of growth hormones that strengthen the trunk.

6. Water your new tree’s potential root zone to a depth of two to three feet.

7. Check the soil often and water again when soil is just barely moist. Continually saturated soil will suffocate the roots by driving out all the oxygen needed for respiration so do not overwater.

I’d like to thank my good friends at Tree Doctors, a Phoenix Arizona Tree Trimming company for helping me with the contents of this article.