Installing & Maintaining Woody Plants Alicia Lamborn Horticulture Agent UF/IFAS Extension Baker County

Why Plant Trees and Shrubs? Diversity Wildlife Visual Impact Evergreen vs. Deciduous Fall Color Showy Flowers/Foliage Energy Savings According to the American Forestry Association, trees have other significant monetary benefits. Each year, a single tree provides $73 worth of air conditioning savings, $75 worth of erosion control, $75 worth of wildlife shelter and $50 worth of air pollution reduction. Over a 50 year period (at 5% interest) results in a tree value of $57,151.

When Should I Plant? Dormant Season is usually best. (Jan-Feb) A must for field grown/B&B trees Containerized Plants – any time of year if provided with irrigation, but should try to time planting with the coming of the rainy season.

Preparing to Plant Weed removal Loosen soil (tilling or turning) Hand pull Use herbicides or smother with black plastic or thick newspaper Post emergent herbicides 2 to 3 weeks before planting Loosen soil (tilling or turning) Depth of 6” or more

Amending the Soil Most plants prefer moist but well drained soils Organic matter (compost) has many benefits… Provides slow release of nutrients to plants Increases water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil

Amending the Soil Incorporating organic matter – add to entire planting area, not just the planting hole Add at least 3” of manure compost, peat, mushroom compost, or composted pine bark (fines) Woody trees and shrubs prefer pH = 6.0

Amending the Soil Your soil type will determine (somewhat) the type of compost you choose to use. Consider pH and drainage Need to lower pH: use peat Compacted soils: use composted pine bark

Preparing to Plant Before digging the hole… Step 1: Locate the point where the top-most root emerges from the trunk (it should be within the top 2 inches of the ball)

Locate the Top-most Root Remove excess soil from the top of the root-ball so the top-most root is within the top 2” of soil Three inches of soil and media were removed from the top of this ball

Locate the Top-most Root The point where the top-most root meets the trunk of the tree should be no more than 2”deep in the root ball.

Preparing to Plant Before digging the hole… Step 2: Measure the distance between the top-most root and the bottom of the root ball. This will determine how deep to dig the hole.

Digging the Hole: Planting Depth Dig the hole slightly shallower than the depth/height of the plant’s root ball.

Digging the Hole: Planting Width Dig the planting hole as wide as possible -- at least 2-3 times the width of the root ball.

Planting Depth & Width: Compacted Soils When planting in compacted soil: Dig a much wider (2-3 x the width of the root ball) and shallower hole. Do not dig the hole deeper than the root ball. Consider drilling holes below the root ball in compacted soil or rock to encourage some deep roots. When planting in rock or very compacted soil: Break up the substrate as best as possible to allow roots to anchor into the landscape. If this is not done, roots are likely to be very shallow and the tree may grow poorly. Drilling holes in rock below the root ball might help encourage some deep roots that could help secure the tree in windy weather.

Cut Circling Roots Cut roots that circle the outside edge of the root ball New roots will grow quickly into backfill soil following cutting

Cut Circling Roots In some cases, the entire outside periphery of the rootball should be shaved off to remove roots that circle & grow down the outside surface of the rootball. This reduces the likelihood that they will strangle the trunk later. Recent research also shows that this increases the amount of root growth away from the rootball, resulting in a root system that resembles a natural root system.

Balled and Burlapped (B&B) Wire baskets and burlap should be removed from the root ball (as much as physically possible) Synthetic materials will not decompose and therefore inhibit root growth.

Straighten the Tree Before adding backfill, be sure to check that the tree is straight by looking at it from two perpendicular directions

Backfill Backfill soil should only contain the native landscape soil – no garden soil, potting soil, top soil, organic compost, rocks/pebbles, etc.

What about fertilizer? No fertilizer in the planting hole! There is no need to mix it with the backfill soil or place it at the bottom of the planting hole because most roots end up close to the soil surface (top 6” to 12” of soil). Whether in the planting hole or on the soil surface, adding soluble (quick release) fertilizer to a newly installed plant can burn roots if too much is applied. This will injure the plant and could kill it.

What about fertilizer? Technically, a slow-release (or controlled-release) fertilizer can be applied to the soil surface or on top of the mulch at planting. However… Adding slow-release fertilizer at planting has not been associated with improved survival or increased growth after planting. The % of nitrogen fertilizer in slow-release form can vary greatly depending on the product. (Often it’s less than 30% SRN) Therefore… A newly planted tree or shrub should be fertilized 4-6 weeks after planting.

Water the backfill as you fill the hole to remove air pockets.

Good Fill No soil should be placed over the root ball – you should clearly be able to see the growing media and root ball.

Bad Fill It is clear that soil was placed over the root ball since the media in the container root ball is not visible. This is a good way to stress and possibly kill the tree in certain situations. Soil over the root ball intercepts water and air meant for the roots.

Planting on Slopes When planting on slopes: Set the tree so the top-most root in the rootball on the uphill side is about even with the soil. The side of the root ball on the downhill side will be well above the surrounding soil. Bring in enough soil to cover the sides of the root ball with soil.

Should woody plants be pruned at planting? Generally, plants do not need to be pruned at planting. Prune lightly to shape as needed. Plants that have large canopies in comparison to the root ball may need more moderate pruning, but major pruning should be done during the dormant season (January – February).

Mulch Retains soil moisture (reducing evaporation) Minimizes water needs of plants Inhibits weed growth Improves soil fertility (organic mulches) Eases maintenance Neat, uniform appearance Apply a 2 to 3-inch layer (after settling) of mulch that reaches at least to the dripline (edge of canopy) of the plant. Mulch depth should be thinner directly over the root ball and should be kept several inches away from the base of the plant. Problems that may occur with mulch resting on the trunk or applied too thick include: inability for water to penetrate through the mulch, oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to trunk, keeping the root ball too wet, and repelling water if the mulch dries out.

Mulching Apply a 2-3 inch layer (after settling) of mulch to landscape beds and trees Mulch out to a tree’s drip line or beyond, at least an eight-foot diameter circle Apply a thinner layer of mulch over the root ball, but keep it at least 2-3” from the trunk Mulch Donut

Mulching Mulch on the root ball has little impact on water lost from the tree since most of the moisture that leaves the root ball does so by transpiration, not evaporation. Only a small amount (< 10%) leaves the root ball by evaporation from the surface of the root ball.

Never pile mulch in a volcano-like manner against the trunk. Improper Mulching Never pile mulch in a volcano-like manner against the trunk. This cuts off oxygen to roots, can rot the trunk, can keep roots too wet (esp. in poorly drained soils), and can even repel irrigation and rain water.

Mulch Volcano Damage

Staking Stake to stabilize the root ball. Many field-grown trees do not need staking because their root balls are heavy enough to stabilize the tree in the ground. Some container-grown trees will require staking in open areas because root balls are much lighter in weight.

Traditional Staking Traditional staking could girdle the trunk. This type of staking must be removed after only one growing season.

Staking Two or three wood dowels driven through edge of root ball. These do not have to be removed because they simply rot in place. There is no danger of this system girdling the trunk since nothing is attached to the trunk.

Staking One horizontal 2-inch x 2-inch stake screwed to two vertical 2 x 2s against the side of the root ball. A second set is used on the other side for larger trees if needed.

Establishment Time Period Trees and shrubs provided with regular irrigation through the first growing season require about… 3 months (hardiness zones 9-11) to 6 months (zones 7-8), per inch of trunk diameter to fully establish roots in the landscape soil. Plants that are under-irrigated during this establishment period (most are) often require additional time to establish because roots grow more slowly.

Establishment Tree and shrub irrigation bags can help

Irrigation Research clearly shows that recently transplanted trees and shrubs establish most quickly with light, frequent irrigation. At each irrigation… Trees: apply about 2 to 3 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter over the root ball. Shrubs: Shrubs planted from 3-gallon containers may require as little as one gallon of irrigation water applied every eight days in north Florida. There is no need to wet the soil outside the root ball except during dry/drought periods. Never add irrigation if the root ball is saturated.

Tree Irrigation Schedule Size of Nursery Stock Irrigation Schedule for Vigor Irrigation Schedule for Survival < 2 inch caliper Daily for 2 weeks; every other day for 2 months; weekly until established. Twice weekly for 2-3 months 2-4 inch caliper Daily for 1 month; every other day for 3 months; weekly until established. Twice weekly for 3-4 months > 4 inch caliper Daily for 6 weeks; every other day for 5 months; weekly until established. Twice weekly for 4-5 months

Shrub Irrigation Schedule Location Irrigation Schedule for Vigor Irrigation Schedule for Survival North Florida Every 2-4 days Every 8 days

Tree and Shrub Maintenance Watering Fertilizing Mulching Pruning Pest Management Cold Protection

Watering After Establishment Many established, drought-tolerant landscape trees and shrubs require little or no irrigation. Shallow-rooted shrubs (azaleas) that lack drought tolerance may require irrigation during extended drought periods to look their best. After establishment, water on an "as-needed" basis. Frequency of irrigation will depend on soil type, exposure to sunlight, kind of bedding plant, and season of the year.

Fertilizing – When is it Appropriate? Fertilization may be justified… When faster growth is desired (increase shoot and root growth) To improve flowering or fruiting To correct or prevent nutrient deficiencies *Most established trees (3-5 yrs after planting) especially where surrounding turf and shrubs are fertilized, do not need additional fertilizer.

Fertilization Rates for Established Landscape Plants Level of Maintenance Amount of Nitrogen Fertilizer Basic 1-2 pounds N / 1000 sq ft / yr Moderate 2-4 pounds N / 1000 sq ft / yr High 4-6 pounds N / 1000 sq ft / yr 1 lb N = 100/N (N=fertilizer analysis) This tells you how many pounds of fertilizer to use per 1000 sq ft at the 1 lb. N rate. Example: 16-4-8 (N-P-K) fertilizer 1 lb N = 100 / 16 = 6.25 lbs of fertilizer per 1000 sq ft

Palms Have Different Nutritional Requirements!

Palm Fertilization Fertilize areas within 30 ft of large established palms with a 4-1-6-2 Mg (N-P-K-Mg) ratio fertilizer. An example of this is an 8-2-12-4 Mg fertilizer. Nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) should have equivalent percentages of each nutrient in controlled-release (slow-release) form. When these nutrients are not slowly released at the same rate, or an improper ratio of nutrients is used, you could actually cause new nutrient deficiencies to form or intensify current nutrient deficiencies. Because palms are highly prone to several potentially fatal micronutrient deficiencies, palm fertilizer must contain 1-2% iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), plus trace amounts of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and boron (B).

Maintaining Mulch Maintain a 3” layer of mulch around all plants to conserve water, block weeds, etc. Course materials (course pine bark) can be maintained at a depth of 4 inches.

Cold Protection Thick layer of mulch Water 24 to 48 hours before freeze Covers – traps heat Tree Wraps – prevent bark splitting

Thank you for your attention. For more information… http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody