It is assumed that a tree plantation is complex because it takes a lot of care and attention to set the roots on the ground. However, that’s just the beginning of the struggle since you must know how to care for newly planted trees well in order for them to grow healthy and to their full potential.
The primary idea you will need when caring for a new tree is setting the soil well around, watering the plant (but not too much), maintaining the temperature and moisture, and applying the necessary amount of fertilizers. These steps are a must if you want your trees to stay healthy and fit.
How to Care for Newly Planted Tree: 7 Easy Steps and Tips
You must take care of a new tree planted, regardless of size or species. For instance, when you plant a new tree in bare and fertile land, you have to care for and maintain the tree’s stability. You also need to look after other things to ensure your newly planted tree stays healthy and grows.
So, here in this section, we’ll let you know all the ins and outs of how you can care for your newly planted trees.
1. Check Whether the Tree is Planted Correct or Not
Let’s say you have prepared a soil well and made it fertile to grow your tree, but what if you planted the tree wrong? So, to avoid such issues, you have to check whether the tree is planted correctly or not.
- To plant your tree right, you must first place the tree root on the loose soil, mainly focusing on the spot.
- After setting the tree root or small trunk, you need to ensure that the whole bottom has enough room for growth.
- Next, you must put enough soil above the new tree trunk and root to protect it from environmental harm.
Experts’ Notes:
When pouring soil, you need to press the soil well against the ground. Thus, the tree will grow with less risk of breaking or uprooting. Moreover, a strong soil layer can prevent different accidents and can perfectly protect your new tree. Only protecting or strengthening the soil is not enough because you also have to prevent animal attacks on the tree. So, it’s crucial that you choose your tree planting location wisely.
2. Apply Fertilizers and Insecticides When Necessary
Applying fertilizers is an essential part of tree care. However, it is natural that ground or soil won’t be entirely fertile enough to support a tree’s growth all by itself. So, you also need to depend on fertilizers to provide the trees with proper nourishment. If you somehow fail to nourish the tree, it will start to be deficient in many minerals, which you won’t want! You are also likely to see different symptoms on the tree leaves, branches, and other parts. The leaves may turn yellow or sometimes purple due to a lack of proper potassium and phosphorus. So, you can provide those minerals in different forms, and the natural fertilizers are also not harmful. Although keep in that you don’t apply too much fertilizer to the trees; otherwise, they may die due to excessive chemicals. You can’t deny the importance of insecticides, too, since when you plant a tree, various insects roam around, and some of those can be harmful to both trees and soil. Therefore, applying insecticides can prevent your trees and soil from vicious insect attacks.
3. Add Wood Chips
Mulching with an adequate amount of wood chips absorbs significant heat and keeps the root underneath the ground safe. That’s not all; adding wood chips lowers the temperature of the soil when under direct sunlight. The right amount of wood chips will also absorb excess soil moisture and prevent the plant from water decay. Since wood chips are organic, mulching them further away from the root protects them from birds and insects pecking. Moreover, adding enough chips will provide a pleasing visual appearance while also preventing the growth of weeds nearby. It even prevents soil erosion as well as water conservation since the wood chips will soak off the excess water surrounding the plant. Meanwhile, wooden chips will also keep the surrounding area sufficiently moist if you are under-watering the plant.
While adding mulch with wood chips has several benefits, it also has drawbacks.
- There is always a possibility of wood chips taking away the majority of nitrogen as it decays away.
- These wood chips also provide a shelter for bugs and insects, which are challenging to spot and can cause significant damage to the plant.
4. Pruning
Pruning plays a significant role in promoting the growth of any newly planted trees. It is a process where you must manually cut off any dead or unwanted part of the plant that is slowing down its growth. That’s not all; pruning can also save the rest of the plant from any sort of fungus, decay, or disease that a specific part of the plant or a branch may have. Trimming these dead bits off promotes better circulation of all the necessary nutrients and minerals for better health, growth, and more exposure to sunlight and air. Moreover, pruning allows the tree to develop a strong central trunk that supports the entire plant and prevents decay.
5. Allow Enough Sun Through
Commonly, a growing plant requires enough sunlight to develop healthy leaves and roots. Without enough sunlight, no plants will be able to sustain and thrive. It cannot photosynthesize, make food, reproduce or grow any further. Therefore, for a plant to grow healthy and firm, you must ensure that it gets the necessary amount of sun exposure. However, if your plant receives too much sunlight, you can see the leaves turning yellow or eventually falling off. Although leaves turning yellow can often be confused with being nitrogen deficient. So, it’s important that you know the specific reason for such phenomena.
Experts’ Note: Exposure to the intense sun for prolonged hours will burn away the leaves. While being exposed to a moderate amount of sunlight for hours allows for healthy and consistent growth throughout the plant.
6. Water Your Plants Regularly
It is necessary to water your plants because moisture consumption from the ground is not enough for a growing tree. So, watering your plants regularly is a must; otherwise, the leaves, branches, and trunks will start to dry and shrink. Sufficient water keeps the tree moisture right, and it’s essential to water the newly planted trees during dry seasons. This allows the soil to soak the water, and the tree roots can use that water for biological reactions. Moreover, water can also help the prepared nutrient travel through the tree’s whole body and keeps the plant cells lively & active. You have to consider certain factors while gardening and watering your trees. You also must ensure the correct water proportion to pour on your trees. For instance, if your planted tree is small, you can use a sprinkle to spread some water above it. Since a small and new tree doesn’t require a lot of water, too much of it can have adverse consequences. On the other hand, you should follow the timing and consider the season while watering a new tree.
7. Keep the Surrounding Clean
Only nourishing and watering the tree is not enough; the surrounding too needs to be looked after for your new plant to grow. There are solid reasons for experts pushing everyone to keep garden areas extra clean. The first problem that may arise from an unclean garden or lawn area is the growth of insects and microbes that infect the tree. These infections aren’t limited to a single tree, and it quickly starts to spread. As a result, you may need to take down some of the trees to prevent the infection outbreak. So, it is better to keep the environment hygienic and friendly for a tree’s proper growth. Weed control is another important part of cleaning up the land as a whole. It is important to cut these down because the tree won’t get enough food if there are weeds nearby. The grass and weeds will use up a lot of the soil’s nutrients, and the trees will lack the necessary nutrients.
Contact Atlas Tree online or call us at (800) 478-7966 to learn more about our tree care and management services. You can consult one of our certified arborists even before planting your trees. We can check out the soil and the area and recommend you choose the correct tree for your property. We can also help you with mulch, fertilizer, and pruning.
Bottom Line
For some, gardening can be therapeutic. However, without proper knowledge on how to care for newly planted trees can cause more damage than growth. So, it’s essential that you know all the ins and outs while maintaining your newly growing trees.
