How to pick a nursery tree.Follow these guidelines, and your yard tree will be all it can be. Unless you live in the northern tier The Northern Tier can refer to
Selecting the tree is a critical step in this whole process, and one that too often is done without enough forethought fore·thought n. 1. Deliberation, consideration, or planning beforehand. 2. Preparation or thought for the future. See Synonyms at prudence. . This article is meant to provide all the knowledge you'll need to select a nursery tree of the highest quality. Before you visit the nursery, make sure you have decided on the placement of the tree in your landscape. Have a good idea about what general type you want (shade, flowering, ornamental, or evergreen windbreak windbreak a physical obstruction to the passage of the wind, usually in the form of a line or copse of tall bushes or low trees or a porous fence. Of very great importance in temperate climates and periods of cold, wet, windy weather. tree, for instance) and how much space is available for it. Envision the tree fully grown, and make sure that you have enough space above and below ground for it to grow to its full potential (check especially for utility and power lines). Site-specific soil conditions (wet, dry, sandy, etc.) are also very important for getting the right tree for your use. Equipped with the information on these two pages, you should be able to make the best investment in your tree. Remember, though, that a tree is a living thing, and its structure and health are already somewhat determined by the time you go to the nursery to buy it. It's a good idea to call your local nursery ahead of time and make sure their trees are grown to the standards set by the American Association American Association refers to one of the following professional baseball leagues:
It's also a good idea to be ready to plant your tree as soon after you buy it as possible. You don't necessarily have to prepare the planting area before your trip to the nursery, but don't let the tree sit out for a long time after bringing it home. To further increase your tree's health and longevity, use AMERICAN FORESTS' latest tree-planting specifications. To receive a copy of the article, "The Best Way to Plant Trees," send $3 to AMERICAN FORESTS American Forests is a nonprofit conservation organization that promotes healthy forests and urban tree planting. The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association, by physician/horticulturist John Aston Warder and a group of like-minded citizens , P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC 20013-2000. GENERAL APPEARANCE * The tree should have a balanced shape. * Balled and burlapped trees are bought during the dormant season, so have no leaves. * For containerized con·tain·er·ize v.tr. con·tain·er·ized, con·tain·er·iz·ing, con·tain·er·iz·es 1. To package (cargo) in large standardized containers for efficient shipping and handling. 2. trees, make sure there are no bare spots in the foliage, missing or damaged limbs, or discolored dis·col·or v. dis·col·ored, dis·col·or·ing, dis·col·ors v.tr. To alter or spoil the color of; stain. v.intr. To become altered or spoiled in color. or spotted leaves, unless it's the end of the summer season. * The tree should have a single strong "central leader." * Check the size of the crown and rootball in relation to the caliper caliper Instrument that consists of two adjustable legs or jaws for measuring the dimensions of material parts. Spring calipers have an adjusting screw and nut; firm-joint calipers use friction at the joint to hold the legs unmoving. size of the tree. CROWN * Make sure the branches come off the leader trunk at between a 45-degree and a 90-degree angle. The more the angle (the more parallel to the ground), the better. * Wounds from pruned branches should be calloused cal·lous adj. 1. Having calluses; toughened: callous skin on the elbow. 2. Emotionally hardened; unfeeling: a callous indifference to the suffering of others. over, or well on their way. * Branches should be distributed evenly throughout the tree. This is called good scaffolding. There should not be any "clusters" of branches. * Branches should be about one-quarter of the height of the tree. Too-long limbs place undue burden on the tree. TRUNK * The trunk should be straight. * Look for insect damage such as bore holes. * The trunk should be free of discolored, swollen, or sunken areas. * No wound should be longer than one-quarter of the trunk's circumference. BALLED-AND-BURLAPPED TREES * The trunk should not move independently of the rootball. * The burlap should be tightly wrapped. * The trunk should be in the center of the rootball. * Tree roots are pruned and cut before they are wrapped. Avoid trees with cut root tips wider than an average finger. * The more fibrous fibrous /fi·brous/ (fi´brus) composed of or containing fibers. fi·brous adj. Composed of or characterized by fibroblasts, fibrils, or connective tissue fibers. or "hairy" roots you have, the better. It is stressful for any tree to be replanted, and more intact roots give the tree a better chance to survive. CONTAINERIZED TREES * Potbound pot·bound adj. Having grown too large for its container, resulting in matted or tangled roots. Used of a potted plant. Adj. 1. roots are in danger of "girdling Girdling, also called ring barking or ring-barking, is the process of completely removing a strip of bark (consisting of Secondary Phloem tissue, cork cambium, and cork) around a tree's outer circumference, causing its death. "--encircling the inside of the pot. This occurs when the tree has outgrown its container; girdled roots strangle Strangle An options strategy where the investor holds a position in both a call and put with different strike prices but with the same maturity and underlying asset. This option strategy is profitable only if there are large movements in the price of the underlying asset. the tree and do not provide an adequate support system when the tree is planted. * Avoid trees that have large roots coming out of the water holes or with roots circling on the surface of the soil. After you buy your tree, keep it out of direct sunlight and keep the burlap moist. Try to have your planting site ready before you bring your tree home. Caliper size refers to the diameter of a tree's trunk six inches above the ground or the base of the tree where the roots connect. It is an important part of selecting a tree because it will help you ensure that you are getting the proper dimensions for both the height of the tree and size of the rootball. Ideally, the bigger the rootball, the better. The chart provides some overall dimensions to help you find the "properly sized" and correctly proportioned tree. Deborah Gangloff is vice president of program services at AMERICAN FORESTS, and Chris Horne is an assistant editor of American Forests magazine. |
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