Taking care of recently planted trees

Whether you’ve planted a new tree to replace an old one or you’ve decided to change the look of your garden, knowing how to take care of recently planted trees can help them develop healthily and aid their growth.

Establishing roots

After you plant a tree, most of the early growth takes place underground. Once the roots are established you’ll begin to see growth in the canopy, with an increase in twigs and small branches the first sign that your tree is ready to grow. For best results, it’s best to have little else growing near the tree.

Regular watering

In the beginning it’s best to water your tree lightly on a daily basis. This keeps the root ball from drying out and helps it develop nicely.

For trees with a trunk smaller than two inches in diameter this phase will last for two weeks, for trees two to four inches thick it’ll last for four weeks and for bigger trees you want to keep it up for six weeks.

In the second phase you’ll want to water your tree every second day. For the smaller trees you’ll need to do this for two months, for medium trees for three months and for bigger trees for five months.

During dry weather, you’ll want to continue watering weekly for two to four more seasons. This watering will be a lot heavier than previously, as this encourages deep root growth that makes a tree hardier and better able to cope with dry weather in the future.

Mulch

Spreading mulch around a newly planted tree has many benefits, including protecting it from damage from lawn mowers and preventing the growth of weeds or grass that compete for the same water.

Ideally mulch should be at least two feet wide and anywhere up to four feet or to the edge of the tree’s branches.

Mulch should be around three or four inches deep for best results, but be careful not to pile it up too much around the trunk as this can lead to bark decay during wet periods.

Branch pruning

While a tree is in its development period it shouldn’t need any pruning, unless you notice a broken or dead branch.

If you need help transplanting young trees or removing old ones call Able Tree Services on 0403 221 044.

Image: “Garden hose” by Beth Kingery is licensed under CC BY 2.0