Planting

MOST IMPORTANT: KEEP ROOTS MOIST, COOL AND OUT OF THE SUN, PLANT AT PROPER DEPTH AND CONTROL ALL COMPETITION FROM GRASS/WEEDS.

BARE ROOT SEEDLINGS OR TRANSPLANTS – Roots in plastic bags

  1. Keep roots damp, but not wet-tops dry.
  2. Check for moisture droplets on inside of bag, if present, moisture is adequate for short term storage, otherwise add small amounts of water.
  3. Keep trees at 34-40 degrees until planted if possible or plant within 7 days without cold storage.  For longer storage, freeze gallon milk jugs of ice and put in box to keep plants cool.
  4. Plant at proper depth by looking for change of color on stem or plant just above roots, this is the soil line. Top lateral root should be 11½ under soil surface.  On trees less than 3 ft tall, we cut off roots longer than 12″ to ease planting.
  5. These trees can be watered every 7-10 days to increase survival rate, if soaking rains do not occur.   Most important to control competing vegetation around plants, we recommend herbicides in most cases, and mulch only in sandy soil.

POTTED OR BAGGED TREES

  1. Potted – Gently remove tree, by turning pot over and sliding out tree, do not break up soil in pot.  Make two vertical cuts on sides one inch deep and one X cut one inch deep across the bottom of soil ball.  Use the point of knife and pull ½ the roots loose from sides and bottom of where the pot side and bottom was.  Planting hole should be about 6 inches wider than the pot.  Plant at same depth to one inch deeper as in pot, top lateral roots must be within one inch of soil surface.  Set on firm base with no loose soil under plant.
  2. Bagged: – Cut an X on the bottom and several more on the sides of the bag, plant bag in hole.  Plant with soil no more than 1 inch above root ball, top lateral roots must 1 inch below the soil surface.  Set on firm base with no loose soil under tree.
  3. Bagged and Potted – Firm soil around ball, do not stomp on top of ball.  Water at once and every 7-10 days up-to October 15 if 1 inch rains or more do not occur about every week or two.  When watering be sure the water is soaking in all the way to the bottom of the root ball.  Most important to control competing vegetation (grass-weeds) within 2 ft of tree with light cultivation, light mulch, or our favorite is chemical herbicide.
  4. After the first year we do not recommend that you water the trees as this keeps the roots from growing out in a normal rainfall year.  If there is a drought the second year it is OK to water well about every 10 days.

 

AUSTREE WILLOW, POPULAR, OR COTTONWOOD- CUTTINGS OR POTTED:

  1. Place cuttings in 12 inch deep bucket of water with buds pointing up for a few days or more until 1/8 inch roots start to form along the stem, plan at once.
  2. Plant cuttings with 2 inches of the top sticking out of ground,  no weed competition the first year.
  3. On potted willows, remove pot and plant 12 inches deeper than the top of the pot, or top lateral roots if possible.  No competition from grass or weeds is needed for survival and growth.  Austrees stems are very sensitive to roundup so be careful spraying around them, and keep spray off stems, but is necessary to control unwanted vegetation, and fast growth.

WEED & ANIMAL CONTROL FOR ALL NEWLY PLANTED TREES / SHRUBS:

  1. Keep area around trees (2 feet from stem) free of all vegetation first 3+ years of life is very important especially for evergreens.  The use of herbicides such as roundup and pendulum is our first choice, light mulch, ground cloth, or pulling the weeds also works.  Do not use plastic on the ground around trees- roots need air.

Herbicides are available for sale online at: www.domyown.com

  1. Deer and rabbits, mice and gofers must be controlled in any planting.  In Iowa it is legal to remove any destructive state animal if you have notified the DNR and documented the damage to your private property.  www.stopthedeerdamage.com
  2. Do not let anyone hunt or trap coyotes, foxes or badgers in your tree planting they are your friends to control mice, gofers, rabbits and deer.
  3. Never fertilize any newly planted tree, in Iowa or the midwest with normal topsoil, few trees ever need fertilizer.
  4. Never use a weed whipper to control vegetation around your trees, it will remove the bark and kill the trees.  We use herbicides for this job.
  5. Do not use 2-4-D, Tordon, Milestone, Forefront, Grazon, Garlon or similar chemicals close to or on growing trees.  These herbicides can and will kill your trees and shrubs.

 

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