Yes, we’ve got trees but the contractors who planted them didn’t do a very good job of it. In fact, you might say the way they planted the trees is a case study in how NOT to plant trees.
For the most part, they did not dig the holes deep enough. They also made “volcanoes” of mulch around the trees – another big no-no. But the biggest sin committed by them is that they did not give each tree a good, heavy drink right after planting them.
Trees get stressed when they are moved. The best time to move/plant a tree is in January or February when they are dormant but they can be moved/planted most any time of the year if proper care is taken. When our trees were planted the root balls were no doubt dry (if wet they would have been heavier and no one wants to lift a heavy, wet root ball) and they should have been given a long soak right after planting. As you all can probably tell, most of our trees look stressed and not so happy right now.
I went out last night and worked with a few of you to get water to all of the trees (thanks for your help!) and that should be good for a few days. Some people are already watering their trees and that is great. For those who may not know, the best way to water a tree, especially a newly planted tree, is a deep, long watering once or twice a week. A gallon here or there is not as good as a long soaking of 20-30 gallons. This gets water deeper down and helps the roots grow into the surrounding soil. It also mimics natural rainfall – a light sprinkle doesn’t happen as much as a longer sustained rain.
So, if you can, please water your tree really well once or twice a week. I’ll work with the city to see if we can get those water bags they put around trees to help with this.
Thanks,
EZ