Planting a Tree
Hey guys! We did some adding and subtracting in the yard over the weekend. We added a new tree and removed an old concrete column that was located at the base of our back stairs. I had the luxury of having a broken hand and wrist, so I couldn’t help out (it killed me). My kid, my neighbor and my husband jumped in to plant a new tree in our backyard – aren’t they some good dudes, er what?
Why do we need a new tree? Simple, to create more privacy. We have a rental on the side of our house and ever since my aging crust-punk-neighbor (renter) declared me his “enemy ’till death,” in front of my mom and my 5-year-old-kid one sunny afternoon, I’ve been determined to create as much distance between that house and mine as I can. This Dakota Pinnacle Birch will stand tall at 30′, is nice and dense with leaves, and spans the width of 8′. The tree is the perfect size to block out the perched view my neighbor has of our back yard from his second floor deck, while at the same time being architectural in shape as to limit our entire backyard from becoming too shaded. Most of you probably don’t have the luck of having a completely terrible neighbor so planting a tree for this specific reason probably isn’t an issue you for you. However, I have smartly written this post so even if you’re adding a shade tree to a sunny yard or an ornamental tree to a garden bed, the same rules apply.
Choose a location, make sure it will not get in the way of foot traffic, isn’t too close to walkways or structures and isn’t planted under power lines. Call before you dig! Make sure you know where your utility lines run under your yard. Most cities have a number you can call, in Minneapolis it’s 811.
Remove loose soil from the top of root ball. Often times trees from garden centers come packed with extra soil. It is important that the trees trunk is not covered and the soil only comes up far enough to cover the roots only.
Loosen the roots Use a cultivator or gardening trowel to loosen the roots around the root ball. The tree roots have been compacted into their pot and need to be loosened up so they can spread out and take root in the new tree bed.
Center the tree Center the tree in the hole and and rotate it so you have it facing pretty side out (every tree has a good side). I pointed the less pretty side towards the jerky neighbors house.
Mulch Mulch the bed of the tree – be generous and cover in a good 3″ of mulch. Take care not to mulch near the base of the tree. Around the garden edge pile the mulch up so that it creates a bowl, this will help the bed retain water for the tree.
