Of all man's works of art, a cathedral is greatest. A vast and majestic tree is greater than that.
- Henry Ward Beecher

There's nothing that makes a house more like a home than a few trees in the yard. Trees increase privacy, attract wildlife and block wind. Planting trees may cut your electric bill: the Department of Agriculture says, "The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day". And of course, trees look fantastic. It's estimated that landscaping with trees can raise the value of your property fifteen to twenty percent. Planting a tree is perhaps the only investment your great-great grandchildren will be able to enjoy. In Part One we discussed reforestation through the planting of seedlings. If you are instead planting a few trees around your yard, an older tree is more likely to thrive. In this article we'll be discussing the selection of root-ball saplings, their planting and further care. It's up to you where you want the tire swing.

Planning
You'll need to make a couple of decisions before you even pick up your shovel. The first step is to decide which kind of tree you want to plant. You'll want one suited to the environmental conditions in your area - your state department of forestry or local tree farm will be able to help determine this, although planting trees that can already be found in the area is a good clue. Then you'll need to pick locations to plant your trees. Avoid planting under power lines or too close to structures. If you have smaller trees growing on your land you may decide to transplant them to a new location. Otherwise a trip to a nursery or tree farm is in order where you can chose between field and container grown trees.

Transplanting
If you'd like to save some money and transplant your own trees, remember certain trees transplant well while others do not. Trees with a fibrous root structure such as maple, ash and elm typically do well, while trees that grow a tap root, such as most oaks, are very difficult to transplant. The best time to transplant a tree is in the early spring. Select a tree you want to transplant and make a circle around the tree with your shovel, cutting the roots as you go. A rule of thumb is to dig a foot away from the tree for each inch of diameter of the trunk. At this point you're not digging the tree up, so don't push the shovel against the roots. If the tree is small enough, this initial cutting will be all you need. For larger trees you'll want to trench around the outside of your circle and make a second root cut, angled downwards and inwards. Once the roots are free, gently lift the root ball out of the ground with your shovel or landscape bar and slide it on to a waiting tarp. Two or three people with shovels make moving large trees much easier.

Tree Selection
Perhaps you like all the trees in your yard right where they are. In that case it's time to go shopping. Most nurseries offer field grown and container grown saplings. Field grown trees require little or no root pruning before planting and establish themselves quickly after planting. Trees that are grown in a container may have a problem with tightly packed roots if it has grown too quickly in the container necessitating root pruning. Whatever your decision, carefully inspect any potential purchases. A sturdy trunk is vital, as is even branch distribution. Black roots indicate an exposure to freezing temperatures and are most likely dead. Any sign of disease or insect infestation is a sign to select another tree. Careful tree selection is essential - a sick tree planted today will mean replanting down the road.

Start digging
Once you have a home picked out for your new trees you're ready to plant. Unlike transplanting, nursery grown trees can be planted nearly year-round. Begin by digging a hole for the plant. It should be just deep enough to accommodate the root structure and at least twice as wide as the root ball. Remove anything non-biodegradable from the root structure and place the tree in the hole (burlap rots quickly, so it's fine to leave it on). The top of the root ball must be at ground level or slightly above; otherwise the tree is planted too deeply. Use the soil dug from the hole to fill around the tree until the hole is about halfway filled. Be sure to break up any large clods of dirt. Lightly tamp the soil down with your foot. The idea is to eliminate any large pockets of air, but if the soil is compacted too tightly the roots won't be able to get any oxygen at all. Fill the hole the rest of the way and tamp the soil again. A ridge of soil around the base of the tree will help retain moisture.

It's really only practical to hand plant smaller saplings. Larger trees can be transplanted but can weigh thousands of pounds, making it difficult to handle in a wheelbarrow. This is where commercial tree spades come in. A tree spade is a truck-mounted hydraulic system that scoops a divot of soil out of your yard. It can then place a tree in place. Some of the larger machines can handle trees that are thirty feet tall! Such a machine is expensive to hire (typically $200 for a tree and $70 an hour for transport and planting time) but is the only way to plant larger trees.

Care and Feeding of Trees
Adequate care is required regardless of the method of planting. Place a trickling garden hose at the base of the tree for about an hour after planting. A new tree should be watered at least a gallon a week the first year but be careful not to overwater. Depending on your location and type of tree you may need to add woodchips around the base of the tree and/or support the tree with stakes. Mulching with woodchips cuts down on competition from weeds or grass and helps the soil stay moist. Three or four inches should be plenty unless you live in a very dry area. If a tree will be unstable with full foliage then it should be supported with stakes. Place two or three just outside the edge of the hole and support the tree with a material that won't damage the bark. A tree shouldn't need support for more than a year. A tree does not need to be fertilized the first year after transplant, but you may wish to add a root stimulator to aid root growth.

Adding even a single tree to an otherwise barren yard can completely transform the look of your home. Trees improve water quality and prevent erosion. Scientists at Texas A&M University found that just looking at a wooded setting can help humans alleviate stress. Trees are the largest and oldest living things on earth. Thousands of people plant trees on Arbor Day, but why wait? There's no better way to plan for the future than the planting of trees.

-InstantAcres.Com Staff