2014 GLTE Transplanting & Planting SV.pptx
Industry Standards American Association of Nurserymen (AAN) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Don’t Put a $100 Tree in a $10 Hole
Establish guidelines: • Height to caliper ratios for bare root stock • Root ball – width/depth
Marcus Duck Academic Advisor, Instructor & Program Coordinator MSU’s 2-year Landscape Horticulture Programs www.hrt.msu.edu/students
A. Liners • Young seedlings • Need to be hardened off to acclimate to new site
• Branching – number of branches •
Search for ANLA Standards at: http://www.anla.org
B. Bare Root • No soil – roots must be moist • Dug late fall/winter and stored • Shipped dormant • No freezing temps!!
B. Bare Root •
Types of plants: •
•
deciduous, fruit trees up to 1 ½ -2” caliper, evergreen seedlings up to 5’, perennials
Method: •
Maintain as many fine roots as possible
•
Keep roots moist and top cool = no bud break
•
Heel-in using peat moss, newspaper, etc.
B. Bare Root Tops must remain dormant
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) • Ball of soil wrapped with burlap – tied with
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) • Handle with care • Must keep soil and roots in contact with one another
wire basket or rope
• Larger the tree @ planting = longer establishment period
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) Types of plants: •
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) •
Rootball needs to be as tight as possible
•
Firm – punch ball and gently move trunk
Shrubs, shade trees, specimen trees
Method: •
Tree spade and drop into burlap-lined wire basket
•
Stable
•
Hand dug: ¼ lacing or drum lacing
•
•
12” diameter rootball for every 1” in trunk caliper
Moist but not standing in water (smelly = rot)
•
Not distorted
D. Container-grown / Containerized • Available year round • Plant “any time” • 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, and larger – gallon sizes • All types of plants
E. Tree Spade • Small to very large specimens • 24”, 36”, 42”, 65”, 90”, etc. • Ideally dug spring or fall
E. Tree Spade Types of plants: specimens and large caliper •
F. Tree Boxes • Very large specimens
Method: •
12” of root ball per 1” of caliper
•
Moist soil before digging
•
Avoid GLAZING – clay content and heat from friction
Preparing the Site
Preparing the Site
Soil Test:
Soil amendments:
•
pH, soil type, nutrients
•
Can actually impede instead of help
•
Before design begins = select appropriate plants
•
Make sure mixture/transition between two
•
Don’t test for N = levels change quickly
•
DO test for P & K
types of soil •
Preparing the Site •
Call “Miss Dig” 24/7 = 1-800-482-7171 or 811
•
Also on-line www.missdig.org
•
Call 3 working days before you dig
•
Dog – invisible fence present?
•
Gas or Elec installed by homeowner?
•
Look for overhead lines
•
Depth of utilities not consistent
•
Contractor must make call
DON’T simply cover bad soil with topsoil
It’s Time to Plant •
Type of material used = extend season or window of opportunity
•
Best time = warm soil temps and well aerated – NOT overly saturated!!
•
Availability of after care – are plants just left to fend for themselves?
It’s Time to Plant
It’s Time to Plant
•
Don’t plant $100 tree in a $10 hole!!
Bare root:
•
Wide, shallow hole – room for backfill
•
Remove dead and damaged roots only
•
Good soil contact – mix native and amendments
•
Do NOT prune roots to fit hole
•
Keep roots moist – soak to re-hydrate
•
Tamp down to remove air pockets
•
Water immediately
•
NEVER bury the graft or bud union
•
Rough up edges!!!
•
Don’t dig too deep
•
Settling can occur
It’s Time to Plant B & B: •
Get it in the hole before removing packaging
•
If plastic – remove completely
•
Do NOT bunch up burlap in the hole
It’s Time to Plant •
Top of root ball = at or just above the natural grade
•
Top of root ball in contact with backfill
•
REMOVE: •
UPPER BURLAP
•
ROPE
•
UPPER RINGS OF WIRE BASKETS
REMOVE UPPER RINGS OF WIRE BASKETS
Must see the root flare!!!
It’s Time to Plant
It’s Time to Plant Container-grown •
Gradual transition between container media and native soil
•
Troughs o.k. IF plant is highest point
It’s Time to Plant
It’s Time to Plant
Container-grown
Container-grown
•
Rough-up the root ball (over the planting hole)
•
•
Point roots outward
•
Butterfly technique if extremely pot bound
Positioning the Plant •
Aesthetics – best side to viewer
•
Turn sparse side to sun
•
Heavy branch side into wind
•
Knee of grafted plant – if possible, orient to NE
•
Keep trunk straight / vertical – ignore ball or canopy
Very extreme root ball fix (after):
After Planting Care Fertilization •
Bad practice to fertilize at planting
•
Avoid pushing top growth
•
Very little or no extra Nitrogen
•
P & K adjusted BEFORE planting
After Planting Care Mulch and Water •
Check ball AND backfill
•
10gal / inch caliper / week for 1 to 2 yrs as needed
•
Mulch is wonderful: •
Moderate temp
•
Retains moisture
•
Suppresses competition
After Planting Care Mulch and Water (cont.) •
•
•
Only remove the 3 D’s
•
Wait 1 full year
•
Exceptions: •
Thinning cuts to establish scaffold
•
Avoid heading cuts
Typically used for extended periods
•
Treat trees with borer and/or bark beetle spray
After Planting Care Pruning
“Gator” bags:
After Planting Care Staking • Rule #1 – DON’T • Rule #2 – Remove after 1 growing season • When to stake? • Poor taper – can’t hold its canopy • Caliper greater than 3” • Oversized top • Unsupportive native soil • Windy site = 1 stake upwind
After Planting Care
After Planting Care
Staking (cont.)
Support Stakes:
Growth Effects
•
Attached in upper half of canopy
•
Use 1 to 3 stakes at one point on the trunk
•
Ground anchor 2/3 height of tree connector from trunk
•
•
If held too tightly: •
Reduce taper and smaller root system
•
Reduce caliper development
•
More prone to breaking or tipping after removed
If in contact with bark: •
Shaded cells will stretch due to auxin flow
After Planting Care
After Planting Care
Support Stakes:
Support Stakes:
•
•
Soft, bark friendly materials •
Pantyhose, burlap, soft
Must allow movement!! •
Compression springs will allow movement
•
Leave slack
plastic = GOOD • •
Rubber hoses & wire = BAD
•
Keep stake away from bark
Use turnbuckles to allow easy adjustment
After Planting Care Tree Wraps •
AVOID USING THEM!!
•
Harbor insects
•
Weakens covered bark
•
Only use if: •
Thin bark
•
Hot microclimate with chance of sun scold
•
Prevent deer & rabbit damage
After Planting Care Tree Wraps (cont.) •
Do Not want it to hold moisture
•
Light color to moderate temp
•
Wrap starting at the bottom for better water shed
Don’t Put a $100 Tree in a $10 Hole
Establish guidelines: • Height to caliper ratios for bare root stock • Root ball – width/depth
Marcus Duck Academic Advisor, Instructor & Program Coordinator MSU’s 2-year Landscape Horticulture Programs www.hrt.msu.edu/students
A. Liners • Young seedlings • Need to be hardened off to acclimate to new site
• Branching – number of branches •
Search for ANLA Standards at: http://www.anla.org
B. Bare Root • No soil – roots must be moist • Dug late fall/winter and stored • Shipped dormant • No freezing temps!!
B. Bare Root •
Types of plants: •
•
deciduous, fruit trees up to 1 ½ -2” caliper, evergreen seedlings up to 5’, perennials
Method: •
Maintain as many fine roots as possible
•
Keep roots moist and top cool = no bud break
•
Heel-in using peat moss, newspaper, etc.
B. Bare Root Tops must remain dormant
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) • Ball of soil wrapped with burlap – tied with
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) • Handle with care • Must keep soil and roots in contact with one another
wire basket or rope
• Larger the tree @ planting = longer establishment period
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) Types of plants: •
C. B&B (balled and burlapped) •
Rootball needs to be as tight as possible
•
Firm – punch ball and gently move trunk
Shrubs, shade trees, specimen trees
Method: •
Tree spade and drop into burlap-lined wire basket
•
Stable
•
Hand dug: ¼ lacing or drum lacing
•
•
12” diameter rootball for every 1” in trunk caliper
Moist but not standing in water (smelly = rot)
•
Not distorted
D. Container-grown / Containerized • Available year round • Plant “any time” • 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, and larger – gallon sizes • All types of plants
E. Tree Spade • Small to very large specimens • 24”, 36”, 42”, 65”, 90”, etc. • Ideally dug spring or fall
E. Tree Spade Types of plants: specimens and large caliper •
F. Tree Boxes • Very large specimens
Method: •
12” of root ball per 1” of caliper
•
Moist soil before digging
•
Avoid GLAZING – clay content and heat from friction
Preparing the Site
Preparing the Site
Soil Test:
Soil amendments:
•
pH, soil type, nutrients
•
Can actually impede instead of help
•
Before design begins = select appropriate plants
•
Make sure mixture/transition between two
•
Don’t test for N = levels change quickly
•
DO test for P & K
types of soil •
Preparing the Site •
Call “Miss Dig” 24/7 = 1-800-482-7171 or 811
•
Also on-line www.missdig.org
•
Call 3 working days before you dig
•
Dog – invisible fence present?
•
Gas or Elec installed by homeowner?
•
Look for overhead lines
•
Depth of utilities not consistent
•
Contractor must make call
DON’T simply cover bad soil with topsoil
It’s Time to Plant •
Type of material used = extend season or window of opportunity
•
Best time = warm soil temps and well aerated – NOT overly saturated!!
•
Availability of after care – are plants just left to fend for themselves?
It’s Time to Plant
It’s Time to Plant
•
Don’t plant $100 tree in a $10 hole!!
Bare root:
•
Wide, shallow hole – room for backfill
•
Remove dead and damaged roots only
•
Good soil contact – mix native and amendments
•
Do NOT prune roots to fit hole
•
Keep roots moist – soak to re-hydrate
•
Tamp down to remove air pockets
•
Water immediately
•
NEVER bury the graft or bud union
•
Rough up edges!!!
•
Don’t dig too deep
•
Settling can occur
It’s Time to Plant B & B: •
Get it in the hole before removing packaging
•
If plastic – remove completely
•
Do NOT bunch up burlap in the hole
It’s Time to Plant •
Top of root ball = at or just above the natural grade
•
Top of root ball in contact with backfill
•
REMOVE: •
UPPER BURLAP
•
ROPE
•
UPPER RINGS OF WIRE BASKETS
REMOVE UPPER RINGS OF WIRE BASKETS
Must see the root flare!!!
It’s Time to Plant
It’s Time to Plant Container-grown •
Gradual transition between container media and native soil
•
Troughs o.k. IF plant is highest point
It’s Time to Plant
It’s Time to Plant
Container-grown
Container-grown
•
Rough-up the root ball (over the planting hole)
•
•
Point roots outward
•
Butterfly technique if extremely pot bound
Positioning the Plant •
Aesthetics – best side to viewer
•
Turn sparse side to sun
•
Heavy branch side into wind
•
Knee of grafted plant – if possible, orient to NE
•
Keep trunk straight / vertical – ignore ball or canopy
Very extreme root ball fix (after):
After Planting Care Fertilization •
Bad practice to fertilize at planting
•
Avoid pushing top growth
•
Very little or no extra Nitrogen
•
P & K adjusted BEFORE planting
After Planting Care Mulch and Water •
Check ball AND backfill
•
10gal / inch caliper / week for 1 to 2 yrs as needed
•
Mulch is wonderful: •
Moderate temp
•
Retains moisture
•
Suppresses competition
After Planting Care Mulch and Water (cont.) •
•
•
Only remove the 3 D’s
•
Wait 1 full year
•
Exceptions: •
Thinning cuts to establish scaffold
•
Avoid heading cuts
Typically used for extended periods
•
Treat trees with borer and/or bark beetle spray
After Planting Care Pruning
“Gator” bags:
After Planting Care Staking • Rule #1 – DON’T • Rule #2 – Remove after 1 growing season • When to stake? • Poor taper – can’t hold its canopy • Caliper greater than 3” • Oversized top • Unsupportive native soil • Windy site = 1 stake upwind
After Planting Care
After Planting Care
Staking (cont.)
Support Stakes:
Growth Effects
•
Attached in upper half of canopy
•
Use 1 to 3 stakes at one point on the trunk
•
Ground anchor 2/3 height of tree connector from trunk
•
•
If held too tightly: •
Reduce taper and smaller root system
•
Reduce caliper development
•
More prone to breaking or tipping after removed
If in contact with bark: •
Shaded cells will stretch due to auxin flow
After Planting Care
After Planting Care
Support Stakes:
Support Stakes:
•
•
Soft, bark friendly materials •
Pantyhose, burlap, soft
Must allow movement!! •
Compression springs will allow movement
•
Leave slack
plastic = GOOD • •
Rubber hoses & wire = BAD
•
Keep stake away from bark
Use turnbuckles to allow easy adjustment
After Planting Care Tree Wraps •
AVOID USING THEM!!
•
Harbor insects
•
Weakens covered bark
•
Only use if: •
Thin bark
•
Hot microclimate with chance of sun scold
•
Prevent deer & rabbit damage
After Planting Care Tree Wraps (cont.) •
Do Not want it to hold moisture
•
Light color to moderate temp
•
Wrap starting at the bottom for better water shed
