A Tree for Dummies
The River
Birch
River Birch Trees are fairly
easy to plant because they are fairly rugged and durable. Yet to plant
or transplant them you do need to follow some basic guidelines. Two of
the best cultivars or River Birch trees are Dura Heat and Heritage River
Birches. The river birch has good resistance to the Bronze Birch Borer.
All people handling seedlings and small trees need to
help with the life support of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out
of water, and need care which is often overlooked between the time the
seedlings are lifted and transplanted.
Improper care means higher
mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must protect seedling
from moisture and temperature extremes, as well as physical damage.
Seedlings are living and should be handled carefully. For a higher
survival rate, treat trees carefully and plant them immediately. I like
to have a backup plan for planting if the weather turns bad. I will
sometimes switch from lining out the seedlings to potting them up if I
realize that the soil conditions will not be right for an extended
length of time.
If planting must be delayed a few days, keep the plants
in a cold, protected place with air circulation between the trees. Keep
the trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees need water,
feel the media at the roots.. If it isn't damp, water the trees and
allow the excess water to drain.
In cool, damp weather, the biggest
threat to these trees is from mould. Try to seedlings
moist by either restricting water loss with a water vapor barrier or by
wetting the roots at regular intervals.
While handling or planting try
to reduce temperature and air movement around the seedlings. Windy days
can dry out seedlings so consider waiting for calmer weather. Once your
soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will make planting a
snap so its will be worth waiting for good planting conditions.
HOW TO PLANT
Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind. If
possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil should be moist
not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed. Make sure the
roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare root seedlings should be
carried in a waterproof bag or bucket, with plenty of moist material
packed around the roots to keep them damp.
Ideally, bare root boxes
should be kept refrigerated or packed in ice or snow. Don't freeze the
trees. Competition from weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very
detrimental to survival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from
this competition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spot before
planting.
Seedlings should not be planted under the crown of existing
trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush. Avoid areas near walnut
trees. Brush aside loose organic material such as leaves, grass, etc.,
from the planting spot to expose mineral soil. If organic matter gets
into the planting hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots
will dry out when they grow into these spaces.
Open up the hole, making
sure the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If
roots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able to take up
water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blow down later due
to poor root structure.
Take a tree out of your planting bag or bucket
only after a hole is ready. When exposed, the fine roots can dry out in
as little as 30 seconds. Seedling shoots and roots lose water to air,
roots require more protecting. Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata
(closable openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings to
help reduce water loss. If the roots appear dry they are probably dead.
Now I know you are thinking, "I will place them in a
bucket of water and store them there until planting". This will not
work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple of minutes. Placing
them in water cuts them off from oxygen.
Remember to remove the container before planting a containerized tree. A
helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting is to remember to
always plant green side up. Hold the seedling in place in the hole,
making sure the roots are straight, fully extended and that the tree is
neither too shallow or too deep in the hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to
fall in around the roots. Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don't crush
the roots by
jumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snake curled up
around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more soil, if necessary,
and tamp.
Tamping is important. If soil is not firmly packed around the
roots, there will be air pockets that can dry out the roots, and the
seedlings may be weakly anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree
strait up then have the tree leaning and have to adjust the tree later.
(Addition of fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is
not generally necessary.)
Take your time in planting. Proper spacing
will help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to get more
production from a limited area by over planting and then thinning, but I
always have had trouble in harvesting .... digging is slower and poor
quality usually results for a portion of the crop. Avoid these tree
planting errors:
Tangled roots Planting too shallow Planting too deep Air pockets Turned
up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting trees that are not tolerant
of wet soils in poorly drained areas Planting over rocks, septic tanks
and leach fields, on sand mounds
CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING
Check periodically to be sure that
brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control by mowing,
mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments.
Always obtain
advice from a licensed pest control advisor before using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in
application of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your trees will
help you to detect signs of insects, diseases or other problems.
Appearance also help sell your product. Look for foliage turning
yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of poor health. It is easier
to take successful corrective action if the problem is detected early.
Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You probably
won't need to water more frequently than every 7-10 days. Give your
trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the soil dry out before the
next watering. This encourages the roots to grow down in search of
water. Frequent, shallow watering encourages root growth near the
surface, and the trees are more dependent on irrigation and are less wind
firm.
Animals can be a major cause of damage to young trees. Porcupines,
gophers, mice, rabbits, deer and cattle are the most frequent source of
damage. In many states you may have to call your game commission and get
their recommendations on legal methods to protect your crop.
In our
state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to kill deer that
are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fence to keep deer away
from your seedlings.
Over the years we have lost more trees to mice than
any other animal. Put rat baits out on a regular basis. Over the years
we have lost more seedlings and plants to mice than any other culprit
including deer and rabbits combined.
You can see more articles about the
care of trees plants and nursery stock at our web site
http://www.seedlingsrus.com/RiverBirchTrees.html and
http://www.highlandhillfarm.com
Author: Bill Hirst
About the author:
Bill has been growing trees and plants on his Doylestown Pa. nursery for
25 years. He has grown thousands of these trees and finds the River
Birch an EZ to plant tree.
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