I purchased another Northland blueberry bush and another Honey Crisp apple tree this spring.    Both of my previous plants of the same exact species, had been falling since last year, and this spring it was pretty obvious that they were not going to perk up no matter what I did to try and revive them. 

I’m proud of my little orchard, stuck at the very end of my property.  I started it in 2014 with a couple of blueberry bushes and a couple of apple trees.  It is a tiny space.  However, I have now managed to squeeze 12 blueberry bushes and 5 apple trees into this “shoe box” of a space by keeping everything carefully pruned.  One would think that with all of that planting experience I must know what I’m doing when I plant a tree.   But, alas! Maybe that is part of my current problem. 

I suspect that the reason the blueberry bush died is because it was put in, in a rush and quickly back filled without a whole lot of water or special prep given to it.  I just wanted to get it in quickly.    The apple tree may have suffered a similar fate, because I am never exactly sure how deep to dig the hole and that apple tree required a BIG hole and I got tired of digging.   For this year’s planting task, I took direction from the book titled, “The Anxious Gardner’s Book of Answers” by Teri Dunn Chace.  She is the author of 35 gardening books and offered plenty of advice on planting  properly, so that things will survive.

So…with new stock on deck, shovel in hand, and Teri’s book at my side, I set off to plant my new berry bush and fruit tree determined to get at least the hole digging aspect of the job done correctly.  I share with you some of her expert information on the most up- to- date methods for successful tree planting, and common mistakes to avoid.

Mistake #1 DIGGING THE PLANTING HOLE TOO DEEP: A hole too deep will often not allow enough water to reach the bottom of the roots.  This can of course dry out the roots and lead to root death or rot.  Proper hole size should be measured starting at the plants 1st root flare (the spot where the first lateral roots show) to the bottom of the root-ball.

Mistake #2 NOT ALLOWING FOR ROOT EXPANSION:  Make your planting hole at least a foot wider than the root-ball on all sides.  You want tree roots to grow out laterally and down to stabilize the tree over time.  So give them space to grow. Keep digging!

Mistake #3 ADDING ORGANIC MATTER:  current thinking is to NOT add organic matter (compost, peat moss, dehydrated manure) to the hole when planting.  Research has shown that this causes the roots to stay right where the compost is located and can stunt growth because the roots don’t grow outward. They just grow toward the fertilizer.  Best to refill the hole with soil that you dug out. (Not sure I agree with this idea).

Mistake #4 HASTY HOLE FILLING: (sounds familiar)  Shoveling the soil back into the hole all at once, without taking the time to keep adding water and adequately compress the soil, is not the right approach, but who among us has not felt the urge to just hurry up this dirty task and move on to something more fun.  However, the plant will suffer in the following days when young roots dry out in air pockets that did not get patted down.  The tree may lean or fall over because of this neglect in proper planting.  Instead, position the tree, fill the hole about ½ way, firmly tamping the soil as you go.  Then fill the hole with water, and let it soak in.  Continue adding soil to fill the hole completely.  Water again, and press in remaining soil.

Mistake #5 ALLOWING WATER TO RUN OFF:  Water needs to be delivered directly to the root system to nourish the young tree, and get it off to a good start.  A good way to be sure the water doesn’t run off from your new planting is to use your hands to build a dirt basin around the trunk or stem of your plant.  Mound the dirt several inches high so it looks like a little “Moat”.  Fill the “basin” with water and the water will pretty much stay right where you want it and trickle down to the roots below.  I do follow this practice and refresh the circle as it wears down.

I hope these tips help you with your spring planting…that your new trees and shrubs will survive and grow successfully because YOU took the time to do the prep work correctly.

Cheers,
Deb (June 2018 Horticultural Newsletter)