Although the best time for planting trees is late winter or early spring, many people plant trees in autumn. As we near the end of August, the temperature will begin to cool and our thoughts will focus on preparing our kids for back to school, the seemingly endless parade of holidays and doing last minute yard work before the onslaught of winter.
In the coming weeks, you’ll most likely find yourself standing on your deck, back porch or in the middle of your yard contemplating what needs to be done next. Whether it’s finding the perfect spot for planting that tree or what spots are in desperate need of weeding, there’s plenty to do. If you are planting trees, keep in mind that you can’t plant them wherever. It’s not a frivolous activity, but rather one of careful planning and consideration.
In the article, “Gardening: Look up and around before planting,” Eileen Ward writes, “I have noticed a disturbing trend, on Marco Island, of people planting palms and trees directly under the power lines. With hurricanes and thunderstorms, accompanied by high winds, a common summer occurrence, power outages from these poorly planted trees could unfortunately also become a common occurrence.”
Although Ward focuses on Marco Island, her advice is applicable to all regions when it comes to planting trees. First, survey the land. Clearly, you don’t want to plant under power lines or telephone poles or any other manmade object that could destroy your trees, especially when a storm occurs. Additionally, if you do plant your tree under power lines, your tree will have to grow around the power lines. This will require constant upkeep on your end, including pruning and maintenance, which may result in an unnatural looking tree.
An unnatural appearance can lead to health issues and susceptibility to bugs. Those are just some of the things that may happen if you plant your trees in the wrong areas. You need to choose carefully and consider everything. These trees need room for their development. Remember a tree is underground as much as its aboveground!
At Cold Stream Farm, this is one of our favorite times of the year. Our bare root trees are ready for planting. Not only that, but we have all of your tree and shrub planting supplies, including bamboo stakes and planting bars!
Source: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/aug/15/gardening-look-up-and-around-before-planting/
*First image courtesy of christingasner
