Tree Tips: Have A Plan, Think Shade, Go Big, Ask The Pros
BY TERRENCE PETTY — ASSOCIATED PRESS
GRESHAM, Ore. – One reason to take a drive into the Willamette Valley is for the scenery: the snowy Cascades in the distance, the streams coursing through woods and pastures.
Many people have another reason for coming out here – to buy trees.
As you drive along the poky two-lane roads, you encounter one tree farm after another. Vast plantations of blue spruce, arborvitae, Douglas fir and other trees stretch toward the horizon.
Many of these are wholesale operations that sell to garden centers, landscapers and large retailers across the country. Some of the growers also sell to individual customers. Skipper and Jordan Nursery is such an operation.
“It helps to come out and look at the plant material,” said Brent Jordan, who owns the 100-acre nursery with his father-in-law, Bob Skipper.
And there’s a lot to look at: dwarf Serbian spruce, dappled willows, dogwoods, incense cedars, various varieties of the Japanese maple, and many others.
Oregon, with its fertile soil and wet but moderate winters, is known for its trees. The state leads the nation in sales of coniferous evergreens, deciduous flowering trees and deciduous shade trees, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
California, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan are other top producers of commercial trees.
Trends In Trees
Native trees are the trend nationwide. But they aren’t necessarily the best choice in urban areas.
“Native trees are very nice. But we live in cities,” said James Urban, a landscape architect and tree expert.
The soil in cities has been changed by urbanization. “We need to find plants that grow in these difficult urban conditions,” he said from his office in Annapolis, Md.
Urban is big on shade trees because of their environmental benefits. For example, they can reduce energy demands by cooling your home.
“I encourage people to try to plant the largest tree the site, or their psyche, can handle,” he said.
Getting Started
Before you rush out and buy a tree, come up with a well-thought-out plan, advises David Lewis, a landscape architect in Portland.
“You should develop a theme. Otherwise it will look haphazard,” he said.
Trees can act as a centerpiece of a lawn or garden, or they can accent other components, such as shrubs, walkways and patios. Shade trees lend autumn color, while some trees, such as the popular arborvitae, can be used as attractive barriers between neighbors.
Do you want your grounds to have a formal look or a more natural one? Do you want a lot of shade? Lots of color? Some color year-round?
There also are practical considerations: Planting the wrong kind of tree too close to your house could cause roof or foundation problems. Roots might cause your sidewalk to buckle. To avoid future trouble with power lines, anticipate how tall a tree that’s being planted near one might become. Be sure a tree won’t obscure safe traffic views for drivers.
Getting Advice
Tree nurseries are good places to go for guidance. You can talk directly with the person who has, so to speak, given birth to the trees. Really good nursery owners will show as much care in helping the customer as they have in growing their arboreal offspring.
“Rule No. 1: Get close to the person who grew the tree,” Urban said.
Nurseries and nursery associations across the country have Web sites that give advice on what to plant, how to plant it and when.
Breaking Ground
Urban stressed the importance of properly preparing the soil before you plant a tree.
You should dig up as much soil as possible, using a shovel, not a roto-tiller. Cover the ground with leaf compost, working it into the soil.
Other planting imperatives include not burying the root ball too deeply, and being sure to cut away the burlap and other coverings before filling in the hole.
Terms To Know When Visiting A Tree Nursery
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Some useful terms to know when you visit a tree nursery:
Balled and burlapped stock: Plants dug from the ground with a ball of soil around their roots, which is then wrapped in burlap for immediate sale or for shipment.
Tree expert James Urban said a nursery tree that’s been balled and burlapped is “the best tree you can buy.”
Still, it may be difficult to find a small tree that’s been balled and burlapped. If you buy one, keep the soil ball damp before planting and keep the roots protected.
Bare-root stock: Trees and other plants that are dug from the ground without soil around their roots. Bare-root trees are generally smaller than balled and bur-lapped ones and less expensive. Care must be taken that the roots don’t dry up and die before they are replanted.
“Bare-root is a very good tree,” Urban said.
Container stock: Plants grown in plastic containers. These trees are usually smaller than balled and bur-lapped trees and generally less costly.
According to the Web site for Penn State Co-operative Extension, container-grown plants are better able to “survive the shock of transplanting” and can be planted any time the ground isn’t frozen.
Conifer: An evergreen that bears cones. Examples are pine, juniper and spruce.
Cultivar: A tree or plant propagated not in the wild but through cultivation, such as by grafting or cut-tings. The word “cultivar” comes from “cultivated varieties.”
Deciduous: From the Latin word for fall off – d ecidere. A deciduous tree is one whose leaves completely fall off at the end of the growing season. Examples are maple, ash and oak.
Evergreens: Trees that keep their foliage through-out the year.
Garden Calendar:
577 Foundation Holds Community Workshop
The 577 Foundation will host a rain garden workshop on Saturday, April 26 from 9:00 to 4:00 p.m. The program will take participants through the steps of planning, design, implementation and maintenance of a rain garden. Instruction will take place in the morning and garden installation in the afternoon. In the event of inclement weather, the planting portion of the workshop will take place on Sunday, May 4. A resource book will be provided for participants to take home. The fee is $15.00 per person and pre-registration is required; call (419) 874-4174 or visit www.577foundation.org.
Heirloom Plants Offered At Historical Society Sale
The Ohio Historical Society will offer heirloom plant sales at Adena Mansion and Gardens in Chillicothe and the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus. Gardeners will be able to select their favorite heirlooms from more than 40 different varieties of tomatoes and dozens of annuals and perennials.
The Adena Mansion sale takes place from Saturday, April 26 through Sunday, May 4, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The site is located at 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe. For more information, call (740) 772-1500, ext. 101, or (800) 319-7248, ext. 101. The Ohio Historical Center sale take place on Saturday, May 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday, May 4 from noon to 5:00 p.m. The center is located at I-71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus. Plants may be pre-ordered at the center or online at www.ohiohistory.org. For more information, call (614) 297-2300 or (800) 686-6124.