The month of April and trees just seem made for each other.
Earth Day and Arbor Day – two major celebrations of the goodness trees bring to our lives – are in April. Plus, the early spring is a perfect time to add a tree to your home’s landscape; the ground has warmed up enough to allow planting, and it is less stressful for the tree than planting in the heat of summer.
While trees can be a big-ticket landscaping item, they are sure to add value to your life – and your property.
There is an obvious aesthetic pleasure of watching a new tree grow and blossom in your garden. But trees also have less self-evident benefits on your health and even your stress level.
Most of us know that through the process of photosynthesis, trees help remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and return oxygen as a byproduct. According to the Urban Forestry Network, when a tree reaches 10 years old, it can absorb up to 48 pounds of CO2 per year. At that rate, it releases enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two human beings.
Meanwhile, research continues to show the psychological benefits of trees. One of the more interesting studies was conducted last year at the University of Illinois. In it, 158 volunteers were asked to perform a series of mildly stressful activities – prepare a speech, deliver it in public, and perform a subtraction task in front of judges and a camera. (Yes, I know – public speaking and public math, all recorded on video. Makes you shudder just to think about it, doesn’t it?)
Afterwards, the volunteers donned virtual reality headsets and viewed 360-degree videos of cityscapes with varying amounts of visible trees. The results were conclusive – the more trees the subjects viewed on the video, the denser the canopy, the more quickly they recovered from the stress.
Those are the more abstract benefits of adding more foliage to your life. But if you are interested in value that’s measured in cold, hard cash – well, it turns out money does grow on trees.
A mature tree can have an appraised value between $1,000 and $10,000. Strategic planting of trees can lower your energy costs by as much as 30 percent, providing shade in the summer and protecting your home from windy Northern Arizona days in the winter and early spring. Money magazine estimates that while a kitchen or bathroom remodel can recoup 125 percent of your expenses when you sell your home, landscaping will reap you a whopping 200 percent return on your investment.
So, to sum up, adding a tree to your garden means you’ll breathe better (more oxygen), you’ll breathe easier (less stress), and the leaves aren’t the only green you’ll be seeing as it reaches maturity.
Warner’s Nursery specializes in the selection, care and growth of trees suited for Northern Arizona. So, whether you approach tree planting as an environmental act, a cost-savings measure or just because you love the color of aspen tree leaves in the fall, be sure to stop by and talk to our friendly staff to find the best tree for you.
Once you select your tree, here are some tips on how to plant it.
- Depending on the size of your tree you are planting (typically five to 15 gallon containers), the first step is to dig a saucer shaped hole that is twice the width of the root ball and equally as deep. It’s better to plant your tree a little above ground level than a little too deep.
- Next, prepare the soil. The rule of thumb is to mix equal amounts of the original soil with enriched soil, such as Warner’s Supreme Planting Mix.
- Before removing the tree from its container, water it thoroughly. Then gently remove it from its container by supporting the stem in one hand and turning the pot upside down with the other.
- It’s important to loosen the roots to avoid girdling (and for those of you who are wondering why a tree would be wearing a woman’s undergarment from the 1950s, “girdling” roots are lateral roots at or slightly below the soil line that cut into the main trunk. They can restrict water and nutrients and ultimately can kill a tree.)
- Remove any wire or twine near the trunk and gently fold back any burlap before planting.
- Place the tree into your hole, add fertilizer tablets and start backfilling with your previously mixed soil.
- To prevent transplant shock and promote vigorous root growth, water thoroughly adding a root stimulator mixture. We recommend Fertilome.
- Finally, add three to four inches of garden mulch and then cover with bark chips as the final layer. This prevents weeds and also keeps soil temperature optimal.
Once your tree is planted, water once a day for the first two weeks. Thereafter, proper watering is essential to ensure long-term growth. Drip irrigation is best, but if that’s not possible, a slow trickle out of your garden hose for 30 minutes is a fair imitation. Place the hose at the edge of the canopy.
Following these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy your new tree for years to come.
Happy Gardening! FBN
By Misti Warner