Plant a tree -- wisely -- and leave a green, living legacy
Pink Elephant Preschool in Roxbury sponsored the ideal spring learning activity in April: how to plant a tree. Catskill Forest Association (CFA) Executive Director Jim Waters and new CFA Education Forester Ryan Trapani came to Kirkside Park with shovels, saplings and know how to teach a sun-dazzled group how to choose a tree species and get it off to an excellent start in life. You can plant a tree just about any time of year, but recent rainfall and snow melt have softened the ground and spring temperatures make ideal planting weather now.
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| CFA Education Forester Ryan Trapani is ready to dig in. |
Some questions to ask yourself: what kind of tree will suit the soil and the habitat? Does the tree need acidic or alkaline soil, wet soil or good drainage? Will it foster wildlife habitat or attract critters you don’t want? How fast will it grow and does it suit your site aesthetically? Look up -- are you planting a tree under power lines? Look down: will the roots to battle with your foundation or compete with other plants? Look left and right: will tree limbs eventually threaten your roof? The folks at CFA can supply you with a guide to species that are good choices for our climate and have a list of suppliers where you can purchase them.
On the banks of East Branch, Waters and Ryan explained that they had chosen Pepperidge and River Birch for the streamside park site. Pepperidge or Black Gum has brilliant scarlet foliage (sometimes orange and yellow too). Its pyramid shape and small dwarf-like branches make an attractive appearance and the tree resists infestation. River birch has orange, gray and even lavender bark that really stands out in cold months when there’s no foliage. It’s a fast grower (with few surface roots to trip over!)
Whack Job?
The most dangerous creatures for your trees are the “Ringtail Weed
Whacker” and the "Saber-toothed Lawnmower.” Mowers and weed
whackers deliver fatal blows to your tree’s fragile epidermis —death
by a thousand tiny cuts. Use a tree tube for a sapling, and after it comes
off you can put a simple circle of bricks or another natural border to remind
you or your lawn guy to give the trees a break.
CFA is a membership based nonprofit that offers workshops, publications and a website full of information on how to manage forest land and take care of your trees. Visit them on Route 28 in Margaretville or take the paperless, tree-friendly approach by going on-line to www.catskillforest.org or calling 586-3054. Anyone is welcome to join CFA, whether they own woodlands or not. These photos include some basic guidance to help you plant a healthy, happy tree that plays well with others.
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| SUN FOLLOWER — CFA Executive Director Jim Waters demonstrates a tree’s natural and determined growth pattern — like most of us after a long winter, it will head for sunlight no matter what. |
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“YOU TUBE” FOR YOUR TREES —Remove competition from around the planting site, including grass and weeds. The CFA has a heavy duty, specialized shovel ideally designed to dig holes and remove sod for tree planting and you can borrow it from CFA. Isaac demonstrates its heft, above, while his friend Catherine models a more conventional shovel. In our area, you must protect a newly planted sapling from deer and other herba-hungry wildlife like porcupines. An inexpensive tree tube (above) and a wooden or metal stake is vital to protect your sapling. “Without that, these saplings would simply be candy for deer,” warned Waters. The tube has holes for light and air and has been ideally designed to create a greenhouse effect, while protecting your tree from being eaten alive or whacked to death (in other words, don't paint it dark green). Keep it on for a few years, until the trunk and branches start to emerge from the top. It will not distort your tree’s shape or branch growth. |
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| Ryan sets a tube in place. |
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| EARTHWORM DAY — Tree planting will also help you pocket some choice worms for fishing! And planting a tree together makes the perfect multi-generational family activity — creating a living reminder of your land stewardship for many generations to come. Plus, as Isaac and his grandpa Steve discovered, it’s fun to play in the dirt too. |
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| ROOT SELLER — Roots are the most vital part of your trees' survival system. When you buy a sapling or seedling, its root system should be longer than the rest of the tree. Once you plant a tree, the roots will stretch outward, not down, so you want to gently unfurl the roots before you plant and let them dangle down into the hole as you fill it. Jim Waters points out on this sapling a line where the trunk changes color. That’s the point you should try to make “ground level” once you plant the tree. Contrary to some garden planting, with trees, you should really pack the earth tightly and compress it with your hands all around. (as Jim and Ryan are doing). Leaving air pockets around the roots are not good because the roots will dry out rather than sucking in moisture and nutrients. |