Why Plant Trees?

article by Steve R. Black

Few things are more impressive than a very large tree. I am always more impressed with what has been created in nature than from man’s best effort. Years ago, for a family vacation, we traveled to the West Coast. My wife, Shelley, asked me if there was anything that I had to see while we were out that way. I immediately said, “the giant Sequoias.” These living giants amaze me and the fact they only occur in this little part of the world for thousands of years is special. We went out of our way to see these in person and my entire family was in awe. This experience is still one of my all-time favorites.

In the South, there is no equivalent to the giant Sequoias, but a giant live oak is pretty darn close. The really large ones spread their canopy and eventually the heavy branches almost touch the earth far out from the massive trunk. As a kid, at my grandmother’s home In Gonzalez (just South of the paper mill in Cantonment) there was a collection of undisturbed huge live oaks. As kids, would each go out to the end of one of the great limbs and straddle it and then on cue we would race to the main trunk far from that starting point. Those trees are now long gone, and it hurts my feelings. I have often wondered why developers feel the need to clear cut an entire property and start over. It seems to me that the proper thing would be to first assess what potentially makes a property unique and then proceed to preserve the inherent value. The value of an incredible stand of indigenous trees far exceeds what else could happen on that property and being a good steward of the resources we consume should be considered.

Choices and outcomes!

So, you want to plant a tree or maybe many trees. Where does one start? First, consider if you want a non-deciduous tree (evergreen) or a deciduous tree (bare in winter). For instance, if you want a patio to benefit from the shade a tree may provide in the summer months but also be able to soak up some of the warming rays of the sun in the winter months, a deciduous tree will make a great choice. If your intent is to possibly create privacy, then a non-deciduous tree wins the spot. Keep in mind that another great benefit, in addition to creating visual enhancement and privacy, the foliage of trees (and shrubs) also absorbs noise. If you want to see a great landscape, you will almost always find that there are notable trees on the property. I have a saying that if you have great trees and green grass, you have a beautiful landscape. My job as a landscape designer is to not muck it up.

How to install and when? -

If you have proper watering figured out, trees can be installed any time of the year. Keep in mind, however, that when it’s 90 plus degrees outside the moisture demands of trees are high. Maintaining a sufficiently wet root ball can be a challenge. When installing the tree set the root ball 1-2” higher than the ground around it. Use a water hose with plenty of flow to “wash” in the soil around the rootball to avoid air pockets. Install an earthen reservoir around the top of the root ball to allow yourself the ability to fill the area with water and this excess water will percolate far into the soil. Remember that it takes 1 inch of water to wet sandy soil down 1 foot so if you are dealing with a large tree that came in with a root ball that’s 3 feet in height, it will possibly take filling the reservoir with water several times before you wet the entire root system. At the onset, water the trees daily for the first month and then back off to every other day for 3 months. Going forward, normally the trees could be watered 2-3x/week and several years down the road you could stop watering altogether providing the tree is healthy and vigorous. Always consider site specific conditions and alter your plan as necessary. Professionals prefer individual bubbler type irrigation for each root ball providing deep watering for the trees.

Steve R. Black Practicing Agronomist and Landscape Design along the Gulf Coast for 36 years

Protect existing trees -

If you are in a construction project and there are desirable trees present, you must protect their root zone if you want them to survive. Do not add to or take away more than 1 inch of soil when performing the site work. Keep large equipment far out from the trunk of the tree to the edge of the canopy. 80% of the roots that perform for the tree and exchange oxygen reside in the top 18 inches to 2 feet of soil. Adding or taking away soil is like throwing a blanket over this active ecosystem causing it to suffocate. I have witnessed many times as a clueless contractor used large machinery to clear around beautiful live oaks, added soil and graded things out nicely to complete and finish their tasks. The trees slowly died long after the contractor moved on and no one could understand what happened. You see, a really large tree is very slow to respond to the damage inflicted on it and may respond by its death as much as 3-5 years after the damage was done. Labor intensive hand removal of unwanted growth out to edge of the canopy of the tree is therefore necessary for its long-term survival.

Relocation:

I am often asked to relocate a prized sizable tree in the landscapes we oversee. If the tree was installed recently (1-3 years) and there is time to prepare the tree it may be possible. Root pruning 6 months up to year before the tree is lifted will help ensure its success. Type and size of the tree will determine the best course of action. However, if it needs to be moved now, with no preparation, then it’s seldom a good idea since even if the tree was to survive the move it would likely have taken a major blow with much of the canopy either dying or losing its vigor. In these cases, the correct course of action is to remove the existing and install a new tree.

What makes a good tree?

Being armed with the knowledge of the growth habit and size at maturity is of primary importance. The look of the tree (the reason the tree was chosen) and desired placement in the landscape is secondary. The right tree in the right place will make the investment profitable for all. Consider the proximity to foundations of buildings, fences, power lines, driveways, and any other structures. Do not install a live oak 6 feet from your home! There are many types of trees, hire a local professional to help ensure that you are investing wisely or go at yourself. Either way…do your homework.

Hire a local professional to help ensure that you are investing wisely or go at yourself. Either way…do your homework.

Questions or comments? Email steveblack1986@gmail.com.