While some trees can be planted year-round, experts tend to agree that spring is still the best season for getting new trees in the ground. As the days become longer and the temperatures rise, a newly-planted tree should thrive, making the most of the warmer months to establish their roots before winter arrives once again.
Start with Healthy Trees
Winter can cause some serious damage to trees, especially if you’ve had a colder winter than usual. Many tree problems won’t actually be visible until those trees come out of dormancy in the spring, so make sure that you give your new trees a good inspection before adding them to your garden.
If you aren’t sure what to look for, we’ve put together guides on how to purchase healthy specimens and how to give a garden tree a health check.
Give Restricted Roots a Fresh Start
If a tree has been growing in a container for a while, then there’s a good chance that its roots will be constricted. It’s easy to tell – they’ll be bound in the shape of their pot. Simply sticking these roots into a hole won’t be beneficial – there’s a good chance that your tree will end up dying within the next few months, since those roots won’t be able to spread or properly absorb moisture.
Instead, if you have a root bound tree, you’ll need to spread some of those tightly-wound roots apart. You should be able to use your fingers to do this, although severely root-bound trees may require some of their roots to be cut away in order for the remainder to be freed.
Dig an Appropriately Sized Hole
Once the ground thaws out in the spring, it’s much easier to dig a big hole, but this doesn’t mean that you should. While the hole that you dig for a tree should be a couple of times wider than your tree’s root ball, it should never be deeper. Planting a tree too deep will only cause its trunk to rot, which will soon be fatal for the tree.
Make sure that your hole is the same depth as your tree’s root ball. The tree’s surface roots should be just underneath the surface of the ground when you place your tree into the hole.
Water Well to Eliminate Air Pockets
One of the reasons why it’s beneficial to plant trees in the spring is because the weather provides them with plenty of water, which then helps them to establish. However, even if the forecast predicts plenty of rainy days ahead, you’ll still need to give your tree extra water after planting.
Many gardeners choose to backfill their planting hole halfway before soaking the soil and then continuing to fill. This helps to eliminate any air pockets that may be present deeper down in the soil, which will allow your tree’s roots to thrive.
Summary
It’s always a joy to see a garden burst into life in the spring, and adding some new trees into the mix makes things even more exciting. If you’ve been planning on doing some tree planting this spring but haven’t yet gotten around to actually buying your new trees, check out our range of trees here – they’re perfect for this time of year!