A Few Thoughts on Planting Trees

Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 · Leave a Comment 

This Japanese red maple was dug up and transplanted from Connecticut to my garden on a hot August day 20 years ago

First, August is not the best time for planting trees. Most experts suggest spring or fall when it is cooler and rain more regular. But let’s face it, I’m a gardener, and if I see a nice tree for sale, especially one in bloom or one I’ve been looking for, I am going to get it – no matter what the experts say. And I bet many of you do the same.

 

I confess to acquiring four trees in late July. I bought three that I had been looking for, and I got a nice one as a gift. And since I have these new trees, I am not going to keep them in their pots until fall. I will plant them, and water them daily, if needed, through the heat of summer. They will do better in the ground than in a pot where roots can easily dry out on hot days. I have planted a few trees and shrubs in my garden this summer, and all are doing fine.

 

If you are planning on buying trees, allow me to give you some advice. First, NO IMPULSE BUYING! Learn everything you can about the particular tree you are considering well before you buy it. There are books and web sites by universities or botanic gardens that provide excellent information. I suggest avoiding web sites of companies selling trees. Talk to knowledgeable friends. Ask questions.

 

Dr. Dirr’s book is my bible for woody plants

Of the tree books on my shelves, I depend most commonly on books written by Michael Dirr. A retired professor, he has been learning about trees and testing trees and talking to growers for more than 50 years. All his books are readable, dependable – and opinionated. His classic is “Manual of Woody Landscape Trees: Their Identification, Culture, Propagation and Uses”.

 

At nearly 1200 pages, his Manual really does cover every tree I have ever wanted to learn about. It’s not flashy: there are no glossy photos to drool over. Just line drawings of the leaves for most species, and lots of good info. If you want a copy, it lists for $81.80 for the most recent (sixth) paperback edition from Stipes Publishing. Or get your library to order one. Second hand copies are probably available, too.

 

So start by seeing what the hardiness of a tree is. No point in buying a tree you remember from your time living in North Carolina unless it is hardy in your zone, too, which it might well be. Then look at what he calls culture: soil, pH, and sun/shade requirements.

 

Read what Dr. Dirr says about size. He generally tells you how big a tree will get in the garden, how fast it grows, and the biggest size known. Let that be a guide. It is so easy to buy a small tree and plant it without really thinking what it will be like in 50 years. I remember a little evergreen growing in front of our house when I was growing up. When we bought the house in 1954, we decorated it with Christmas lights. Then in later years we used a stepladder to put more lights on. By the time I left for college, it was nearly as tall as the 2-story house – and blocking the view from some windows.

 

So before buying a new tree, try to see what a mature specimen looks like in your town or state. Go to a public park or arboretum (a zoo, of sorts, for trees). Pay attention to the width of the tree, not just the height.

 

Looking in a forest to see how close trees grow together is not the answer. Trees are wonderful, and many people have done research on how trees communicate with each other (see “The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How the Communicate”, a NY Times bestseller in 2016 by Peter Wohlleben), but they aren’t very smart (by our standards, at least). And they don’t plan very well. Where a seed lands, it will try to grow – even if it is right next to another tree, or in a shady place where it will not thrive.

 

Spicebush is a great native shade shrub

Some years ago I planted a spicebush (Lindera benzoin). This is a native shrub that thrives in the shade, even in dry shade. It has fragrant, spicy leaves, twigs and berries. I used to chew on the twigs when I was a boy in lieu of chewing gum, which was prohibited by my parents. Dr. Dirr says it grows 6 to 12 feet high “with a similar spread”. Mine now is 6 to 8 feet high and an 8 foot spread. My new specimens are in 2-gallon pots, just 24 inches tall. I was about to plant them 3 or 4 feet apart, but stopped myself. If a mature tree is 8-feet wide, it is 4 feet from the center of the tree to the outside. So a pair of them should be about eight feet apart, or at least six.

 

In the past two years I’ve been working to develop a private arboretum on what was a 5-acre lawn, now a meadow. Last summer we planted about 100 native trees and shrubs of many species, including a dozen oaks of various kinds and sizes. It’s a five year project.

 

A mature oak can be can be 75 feet tall with a spread of 50 feet or more. But I did not plant them 50 feet apart. I want the roots to interact, sharing nutrients and knowledge. And in a storm, intertwined roots can help prevent trees from toppling over. So I planted most about 30 feet apart. I’ve seen oaks in a meadow like the one I’ve been planting: the branches between trees touched, but did not intrude on their neighbors. On the sides facing the meadow, the branches were longer. Yes, somehow they communicate.

 

So feel free to wait until the weather is cooler and rain more frequent to plant new trees. But if you must plant now, keep everything well watered!

 

Henry may be reached at PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746 or at henry.homeyer@cocast.net. He is the author of 4 gardening books. 

Filed under Article · Tagged with Dr. Michael Dirr, how to plant trees, japanese maple

The Japanese Garden of Portland, Oregon

Visiting a garden in winter allows me to see the bones of a garden, the internal structure which supports and enhances the flowers and leaves of the other three seasons. I like to go slowly through a winter garden to allow the spirit and essence of the garden to sink in. I recently visited the Japanese Garden of Portland, Oregon on a sunny, cold day. I left feeling calm and rejuvenated.

There are three main elements of a Japanese Garden. The first is stone, which provides a link to the mountains of Japan and provides a feeling of stability. The second is water, the life-giving force. For me, running water provides the music of a garden, which encourages tranquility. Quiet pools reflect sky and trees. Lastly, the plants of the garden provide the color and patterns that make each garden special. And of course, the trees in winter provide bones for the garden, along with the stone.

Japanese red maple in winter (Schneider photo)

The Japanese Garden of Portland was conceived in 1961 as a way to promote cross-cultural understanding; it was first open to the public in 1967. It is one of the best examples of a Japanese garden outside of Japan, and is fully mature now, more than 50 years after the first plantings.

Of those original plantings, some of the most impressive are the Japanese red maples (Acer palmatum). These trees are planted throughout the garden, and many have been pruned to encourage lateral growth and are often in an umbrella shape.

Now is the best time to see those maples if you want to see their form, though the leaves are wonderful in spring, summer and fall. There are many with finely cut leaves in the garden, the ‘dissectum’ varieties. Unfortunately for me, the dissectum varieties are generally less hardy; many just to zone 6 (minus 10 degrees F in winter). The standard Japanese red maple is good to Zone 4 (minus 25 or 30), and the variety ‘Bloodgood’ is the hardiest of all. I have two, and I think every garden should have at least one.

Japanese Garden (Schneider photo)

Other trees at the Japanese Garden include Japanese red pine, Japanese black pine, azalea, rhododendron, ginkgo and various large firs, cedars and hemlock. There is an advantage to having evergreens in the garden, as they provide color – green – all winter.

There are two stone or gravel gardens in the Japanese Garden of Portland. In each of these there is a “sea” of gravel. That gravel is raked to create parallel ridges around the stones, mimicking waves in the sea. One has several large stones, representing mountains – but little else. In the main stone garden near the tea house there are also moss-covered islands and peninsulas in the gravel sea. I was told that the gravel in the bigger stone garden space was shipped from Japan.Stone lanterns are commonly placed on peninsulas in Japanese gravel gardens serving as lighthouses.

Waterfall and koi pond

The Japanese Garden of Portland has streams, ponds and pools, all important elements for a Japanese garden. There is a wonderful hillside with a waterfall and a stream that feeds a pond. In the pond are koi; these resemble goldfish and can get to be quite large. Some are orange, others white, some spotted. Koi are the Labrador retrievers of the water: good looking and always looking for a handout.

I called senior gardener Adam Hart after I returned to New Hampshire to ask about flowers that bloom in the gardens in the warmer seasons. I was surprised that the gardens really do not have herbaceous perennials as part of the plant palette, with the exception of Japanese iris (Iris ensata). 

Mr. Hart explained that although some of the trees bloom with colorful flowers, the plants installed should generally have 4 season interest – hence no primroses, peonies or other Japanese flowers. Just the iris, which are similar to our bearded iris, but the falls (outer petals) lie flat out, horizontally. The blossoms can be quite large, up to 6 inches across. I grow them, they are hardy to Zone 4,minus 30 in winter. They like wet soils, and will even grow in standing water. Fabulous plants. The iris are in bloom in June and July, so that would be an excellent time to visit.

For me, it is important that a Japanese garden is sparse, simple, and quiet. It should encourage a person to be reflective and have seating so one can relax and enjoy what the garden has to offer. It should have open spaces and lots of stone and gravel.

The Japanese Garden of Portland is open all year, so if you plan to go to Portland, schedule a visit. There is a discount for tickets purchased in advance, and for seniors or children. Visit the website, https://japanesegarden.org for more information.

Henry’s web site is www.Gardening-Guy.com. He is the author of 4 gardening books. You may reach him at henry.homeyer@comcast.net. 

Copyright © 2014 Henry Homeyer

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