When to water mulch and stake your trees and shrubs. Has been a question people have been asking time and time again. Call 502-245-8733.
WATERING
“How much do I water my new tree?”, has been a question people have been asking time and time again. There is no answer that is 100% certain. There are things that have to be considered when responding to that question. Things like, “How old is the tree?”, “When did you plant it?”, “What has the weather been like lately?”, and “What are the conditions like near the tree trunk?”. All of this plays a factor in watering your newly planted tree.
Planting and watching your tree grow year after year is so enjoyable. There are so many benefits to planting a tree and everything that you get out of it. Things like shade to have a picnic in, fruit if it is a fruit tree, it will up the value of your property, nuts if it is a nut tree and we all know there are so many things that can be done with nuts.
Water, Mulch and Stake Your Trees and Shrubs
Remember, if your tree makes it to be 2 years old, then it has a much better chance for survival for many, many more years. The first couple of years is the crucial years for a new sapling. It will need a lot of love and attention. You will need to water the tree, put mulch around it and if any tree limbs have any kind of damage then it needs to be pruned.
There are ways to check on your tree and make sure that it is doing fine and that there are no underlying issues that you can’t see. You need to be able to see the root tops.
Water, Mulch and Stake Your Trees and Shrubs
Move the dirt and soil if you have to until you can see them. Spread three inches of mulch to help to be able to keep moisture in and it can help to0 keep the roots warmer You can do a three-foot radius around the tree but make sure that you start it about a foot from the trunk of the tree because mulch can rot your tree’s trunk. Check roots and limbs for any signs of disease or damage.
When watering your new tree, do not use any kind of sprinkler system at all. Sprinklers water the leaves also and when the sun comes out it will burn the leaves. The best choice is to use the outside water hose. Put it right at the bottom of the tree and then turn it on as low as you can get it and let it water the trunk and roots for about two hours. Check and make sure that the water is getting down to the roots. You need to do this once a week unless it happens to rain a lot.
MULCHING
When spreading the mulch out you never put it near the trunk of a tree. It needs to be anywhere from six – to – twelve inches away from the trunk. Remember, this is because mulch can rot the trunk of a tree. So, start spreading the mulch about a foot out and make a radius around the tree about three feet all around. You can even go as far as six feet all around, it would be better for the tree’s growth. You need to make it about three inches thick. Make it to where there is a ring all the way around the tree. This needs to be done once a year. Every year rake up and get rid of the old mulch and put down a new circle of new mulch in just the same way.
REASONS TO MULCH
To make a ring of new mulch for a new sapling is one of the best things that you can do for your new tree after you get it planted in the ground. This will help your tree to grow twice as fast.
This also helps to keep the grass from stealing away all of the moisture from the tree and all of the nutrients it needs too. If the mulch ring is done right, it will hold in the moisture and the soil will be kept cool which helps promote the growth of the tree.
Another benefit to having this mulch ring is that when we are cutting the grass, we can see the mulch and it reminds us that the sapling is there, so we don’t run over it with our mower and end up killing it. Most people will not run their mower of three inches of mulch as woodchips can dull your mower blades.
STAKES
Just because your tree is a new sapling and just because it might have come with a stake included, it does not mean that the tree needs to be staked. If the tree is weak and needs stabilization then, yes, you need to stake it. If it truly does not need to be staked then doing so can only harm the tree more. It can cause the trunk to be weak, it can cause the tree to have just a few roots instead of the many roots that it needs to be stable and supported.
REASONS TO STAKE
Trees that are having tro0uble standing by themselves and start to bend over, then they need to be staked.
Trees that are tall and top-heavy with leaves need to be staked.
Trees that are tall and have bare roots will need to be staked.
Trees that are planted in soil that has too much moisture, making the ground completely saturated, also need to be staked.
Now that you have all the information.
- You should need proper care for your newly planted tree, it should be a lot easier to do.
- Watering and mulching are always needed for faster growth and a healthier tree.
- Staking is not something that you want to do unless your tree is unstable or weak.
- Remember that if you need to stake your tree, stakes are not to be left in forever.
- When the roots of your tree have taken hold and have spread out enough to stabilize your tree.
- Then take the stakes out to keep it from harming your tree.
Keeping a tree healthy can be quite a bit of work.
Once your tree is around two years old, it is much more stable, much stronger.
It becomes a lot easier to care for the benefits of having a big, beautiful tree make are all worth it!
