Trees have long provided us with a host of practical and aesthetic benefits. They supply the raw materials for the buildings we live in, the furniture we sit on, and the paper for books, magazines, newspapers, bags, and boxes. Trees are also used in shelterbelts to protect crops, to preserve energy, and to reduce soil erosion, among numerous other uses. ×Ö´®4

Aside from these more practical considerations, trees have provided urban dwellers and people living in towns and the countryside with a source of inspiration and beauty. The brilliant colors of autumn foliage lift our spirits, and the peace and tranquility of trees enrich our lives. Trees make our homes beautiful, keep them cool in summer, and protect them from winter winds. In addition, trees help to absorb the excess carbon dioxide and other byproducts that our modern civilization puts into the atmosphere and thus may help mitigate the potential harmful effects of global warming. Indeed, the world would be a desolate place without these very big plants!

As a tree planter for over 15 years, I am amazed at how fast trees grow and modify the landscapes they occupy. It is a great feeling to see a grassy field or meadow grow into a forest. This experience, of watching little seedlings grow into fine flourishing trees, is available to everyone. President George Bush has made tree planting a national issue, and many groups are getting involved. ×Ö´®9

You can share in this wonderful process by planting trees around your home and in your community. Planting a tree is hard work but well worth the effort. However, trees, like all living organisms, have particular requirements for survival and growth. To make your efforts worthwhile in the long run, you need to consider some of the following questions when planting your tree or trees.

Selecting a Site

It may take only a short time to plant a tree, but remember, you and the tree will have to live with its location for a long time. Make sure you will like having a tree in the chosen spot, and make sure that the tree will like it too. Once they are established, trees cannot be moved around like sofas! Pay careful consideration to the following questions: ×Ö´®3

• Where will the tree be planted? Is the site wet, cold, dry, or sunny? Is the soil good, clayey, sandy, or rocky? These kinds of factors help determine the ecological characteristics of the site and thus the kind of tree that will prosper there.
• Is there enough room for the tree to grow to maturity? If the tree is an evergreen, will it provide too much shade in the winter or crowd out sun-loving shrubs? Where are the utility wires, sidewalks, and underground pipes? Planting a tree under wires or over sewer pipes is an exercise in futility, for you may have to prune it heavily or even cut it down when it grows larger.
• Where can the tree be planted to provide the most energy savings? Trees can be located around your home to provide shade in the summer and protection from the winter winds. Deciduous trees, which loose their leaves in the fall, can be planted to provide shade in the summer, yet allow sun to reach the house in the winter. Conifers (that, is evergreens) supply protection all year long. If placed properly, trees can make a significant reduction in the amount of energy used to heat and cool your house.

Selecting the Species

Although site requirements help determine which species would do well, more than one species will often fit a particular situation. Here you can have some fun! Pay attention to those questions:

×Ö´®3

• What tree species survive the local climate? Different species of trees are ecologically adapted to specific climates, and trees planted in the wrong climate zone can be killed or seriously damaged by the extremes of winter or summer weather. Refer to tree hardiness maps that delineate the geographic extent to which a species can be planted. Whenever possible, plant trees that are native to your local area.
• What tree species are reasonably resistant to the damaging effects of insects, diseases, and air pollution?
• What species will fit the chosen space when trees are mature? Branching pattern and overall size of the tree make certain species better suited for particular sites. For example, low-growing ornamental trees can fit under high wires or close to a house; trees that grow in tall columns can screen unsightly views. Large trees need to be planted far enough from a house so that broken branches will not fall onto the house or your car.
• Do you want fall color or flowers? Maples, oaks, and sweet-gums are known for their fall colors. Yellow-poplars, paulownias, horse chestnuts, rain trees, and magnolias are examples of large trees that have interesting flowers; the ornamental cherries, pears, and crabapples are small trees renowned for their beautiful flowers. Consider, though, how much mess you are willing to rake up to compensate for the flowers!

Selecting Your Tree ×Ö´®6

After you have determined which species will be best suited to your location, you must select the individual tree. Although trees are generally hardy plants, selecting healthy, vigorous planting stock is important to ensure success. Use reliable nurseries and take the time to inspect potential purchases carefully. Ask yourself the following questions: ×Ö´®6

• Does the foliage (or winter buds) look disease-free and insect-free? Do the leaves have a healthy color?
• Does the tree have a healthy root system? If possible, look at the roots and see if you can detect numerous white growing tips. Is the root system large enough to support the stem?

Remember to buy stock early in the growing season. The best stock is usually sold first. In colder climates, buying early may also help ensure that trees will be planted when they are more dormant. Planting actively growing trees (those that have begun to leaf out) is more risky than planting dormant trees (which have tightly closed, vegetative buds).

×Ö´®6

Look skeptically at large plants grown in small containers. Some plants will become rootbound if they are grown in containers that are too small. You can determine if a plant is rootbound by carefully extracting the plant from the container and noting if the roots have spiraled around the bottom of the container. These plants will not do well upon outplanting. If you happen to buy a rootbound plant, you should carefully prune off some of the encircling roots with a sharp knife. ×Ö´®2

Have a frank discussion with the nursery personnel regarding the details of specific care needed for the tree you select. Most of these people are highly trained and can provide a storehouse of knowledge about trees.

Planting Your Tree ×Ö´®2

Now let's get down to the hands-on part of planting your tree. First, you must dig the hole. Trees planted in areas with loose, uncompacted soils can be successfully planted in a hole dug twice as wide and about one and a half times as deep as the root ball of the tree. Soils become compacted by construction machinery or heavy foot traffic. Recall the old adage "It's better to plant a $25 tree in a $50 hole, than a $50 tree in a $25 hole." ×Ö´®9

If the site you have selected is located in an area where the soil is heavily compacted, such as a planting site within a city sidewalk or where a lot of foot traffic occurs, consider using this relatively new technique, recommended by the American Forestry Association, for preparing the planting hole: Instead of digging the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball, dig up an area five times as wide as the root ball to a depth of about 12 inches. You may need to dig the hole a bit deeper in the center where the tree will be, if the root ball is greater than 12 inches in size, but not one and a half times as deep as for noncompacted soils.

×Ö´®7

This novel system of planting is based upon independent research and years of work with urban trees by the association. Roots penetrate through loose soil continually in search of new nutrients and water. Often, a tree planted in a tight pit (our first method) dug into heavily compacted soils cannot extend its roots beyond the root ball cavity. This new method is more time-consuming but the effort results in better survival and subsequent growth of planted trees.

×Ö´®8

After you have dug out the root ball cavity, follow these final steps for planting your tree: ×Ö´®3

• With a sharp knife, cut off any excessively long roots that extend beyond the main part of the root ball. Also trim off any excess branches that are diseased or damaged. Remove all burlap from the root ball and, if possible, gently loosen the root ball while leaving it intact.
• Break the dug-up soil into a fine loose planting medium and loosen up any large soil clods in the base of the hole.
• Plant the tree at the proper depth inside the center of the hole. When planted at the correct depth, the top of the soil should line up with a point on the stem of the tree where a color line is visible. This line is the "ground line" from the time spent in the nursery. If the tree is a bareroot tree (that is, its roots are fully or partially exposed to the air), drape the roots STRAIGHT down into the hole.
• Fill the soil back into the hole, while holding the tree upright and in place. Firmly pack the soil as you fill in the hole. Try to get all the air pockets removed when you do this, but don't compact the soil too much in the process.
• Stake the tree with guy lines if the tree is too tall to stand firmly on its own. This should be done using three supports, similar to the legs of a camera tripod.
• Give the tree ample water and cover the area with a water-saving mulch (such as bark or wood chips). The mulch will prevent excessive water evaporating from the soil.

Taking Care of Your Newly Planted Tree ×Ö´®5

Planting a tree is just the beginning. All too often people plant a tree and walk away from it. Depending on how harsh the environmental conditions are, trees will need a fair amount of care. Remember to remove support wires after the tree is well established and can stand on its own, usually about 2 years after planting. Guy lines left too long on a young tree can strangle it as it grows.

Be sure to follow up tree planting with these activities: ×Ö´®9

• Water amply on an as-needed basis. Watch for drying out of the soil or wilting foliage, which will indicate that the tree needs water. To prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, it is best to water in the early morning or early evening. Watering at these times will give the water droplets ample time to dry on the leaf surface, which will impede the spread of any disease. Avoid watering in the heat of the day, especially if you are watering a short tree in which the foliage is receiving water. Sunlight can burn leaf surfaces because water droplets act as magnifying glasses on the leaf surfaces.
• Keep the ground area under the tree canopy (the "drip line") free of vegetation, especially if the tree is small. Grass and other plants can rob the tree of needed soil moisture.
• Fertilize if needed, but get some advice first. It's easy to harm a tree with an overdose of fertilizer, especially in the early years of a tree's life.
• Look the tree over carefully for diseases and insects. Get help from experts if you notice anything suspicious in terms of damaging agents on the tree.

Where To Get Help

×Ö´®1

Now that your tree is in the ground (green side up!), here are a few ideas on where to get help. There is usually an ample supply of experts in the field available for free or for hire to help you. You can call the following for advice: ×Ö´®2

• The State forester's office (every State has one)
• The county Extension Service
• The local USDA Soil Conservation Service, district conservationist's office
• Organizations such as American Forestry Association, American Forestry Council, and the National Arbor Day Foundation

Services for a fee are available from consulting foresters, arborists, and some landscape nurseries. ×Ö´®1

Trees Can Be Special

The planting of a tree can be used to commemorate many of the stages of our lives—birth, graduation, marriage, anniversary, and other important events—or to memorialize our loved ones who have died. Indeed, planting trees, for whatever reason, has much to offer modern society, and to share in the joy of planting and culturing of trees in one's own backyard or neighborhood is a special experience. Plant a tree—then sit back and watch it grow for a long, long time. ×Ö´®6