Just like any other living thing, trees need time to mature. Do some research into the tree species that are currently in your garden and you’ll easily learn their expected growth rate. However, with some trees being much slower-growing than others, that wait can be excruciating. After investing time, money, and space in a tree, it’s only right that you’re able to see it in all its glory.
With that said, here are four things that you could be doing to encourage fast and consistent growth in all of your garden trees.
Have Your Soil Tested
Each tree in your garden will need a specific range of nutrients in order to properly grow. Unless you have already amended the growing area underneath each individual tree, then chances are that some of your trees are lacking in certain nutrients.
The only way to find this out is by conducting a soil test. Compare the results to the nutrient requirements of each of your trees. You’ll then know which amendments to purchase for each tree, therefore giving them what they need to really shoot on.
Mulch, Mulch, and Mulch Again
Mulching is one of the best things that you could do for your garden trees. It consists of laying organic material on the surface of the soil around your tree. This not only releases moisture and nutrients to the tree, but it’ll also suppress weeds, improve soil structure, and so much more!
Compost or grass cuttings work well as a tree mulch. Build this layer up a few inches thick, topping it up each spring and autumn. Try to mulch during warm weather – this traps heat into the soil, rather than the cold. Don’t forget to also mulch any trees that you have growing in pots.
Quench That Thirst
Water is life for a tree, so make sure that yours are getting enough. While rainfall may provide all that your tree needs during certain months of the year, supplemental watering will usually be needed, especially over the summer.
Allow your tree to continuously dry out and it will fail to grow to its full potential. This applies to drought-tolerant trees too, such as the Dragon Tree and the Queensland Bottle Tree. While they may be able to cope with a drought just fine, a regular supply of water will boost growth much more than long dry spells will.
Give Them Space
In order for a tree to grow to its full size, it needs space. This not only means space above the ground, but those roots will need to stretch out too. Make sure that none of your garden trees are growing too close together. If they are, you may want to consider relocating one.
Even if your trees are well-spaced, keep an eye on those canopies. If one tree is blocking light from another, then the shadowed tree won’t grow as well. Strategic pruning will usually be required to keep unruly canopies in check.
Summary
While you will need to have some level of patience when waiting for a tree to grow, that doesn’t mean that you should sit back and do nothing. Follow the above tips and you’ll notice a surge in growth, meaning that it won’t take quite as long for your tree to reach its mature size.