Trees can be broken down into three main parts: the roots, the leaves and the woody structure be­tween them. The roots' function is to bring raw materials—water and mineral salt dissolved in water—to the tree. The leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use the sun's light energy to combine this gas with the moisture from the roots, thus making the simple sugars which are the basic nutrients of the tree. The trunk, limbs, branches and twigs hold the leaves in position to receive the life-giving sunlight and air; they also act as transportation, carrying raw materials between roots and leaves. The materials ab­sorbed by the roots are pulled up by capillary attraction and the osmotic action induced by evaporation of water from the leaves. Loss of water through the leaves is called trans-piration. On a summer day, a single birch tree may transpire 700 to 900 gallons of water. It is this enormous flow of water that causes a continuous flow of sap from the roots to the topmost twigs.

In planting or transplanting a tree, and in building on a lot where you wish to preserve the trees, the gardener's chief consideration must be to protect the root structure of the tree. The big roots near the stem anchor the tree to the ground, while the fine root hairs at the ends of the rootlets absorb the water from the soil.
The stem or trunk of a tree has three parts: the bark, the wood and the pith. The pith is the central part and around it is the wood. Between wood and bark is the cambium, a thin layer that produces new wood and bark. When the cambium ring is severed, as by a wire cable, the tree is killed, and since the cam bium protects against insects and disease, anything driven into it can wound the tree severely.

Outside of man himself, trees have countless enemies. There are 200,000 known kinds of insects that attack trees, in addition to diseases such as blight, rust and rot, storms and droughts. Luckily, birds help to keep caterpillars, borers, beetles and other insects in check.

Planting    

In planting trees, their mature height and spread must be consid­ered before a selection is made. Tempting as are the nursery cata­logs, it is necessary to choose care­fully, especially on the average lot, because crowding spoils the growth and appearance of trees, particular­ly specimen trees.

In general, it is wisest and most economical to plant young trees. Planting a mature tree is difficult and, if done professionally, costly. If, however, a mature tree is badly needed for a terrace or for screen­ing, it may well justify the expense. What you are buying is the time it takes a smaller tree to mature.

Today you can plant trees when in full leaf with the aid of new wilt-proof sprays that seal the leaves against moisture loss until the roots are established. This, however, costs money and entails greater risks than buying your tree and planting it in early spring( the best time) or late fall or winter. If you are planting a tree over 6 feet tall, it will suffer less setback if moved with a bur-lapped root ball.

The soil preparation described in the previous chapter is helpful for most tree and shrub planting. But since the root system must have fertile soil when it is planted, spe­cial steps must be taken. Dig a hole 2 feet deep and at least 1 foot wider each way than the full spread of the roots. The bottom of the hole should be broken up with a pitch­fork and thoroughly mixed with peat, leaf mold, loam, etc. Manure should be used sparingly and only on the top of the hole as it burns the roots. The deeper you can culti­vate your hole, the better for your tree. Once it is planted, you can cultivate around it but not under the roots. If you strike a subsoil of building rubble or clay, which you are very apt to find anywhere near a house and in which a tree cannot grow, this subsoil must be removed and good soil, or better still, garden humus, substituted for it.

If you are planting a seedling that is not balled and burlapped, you will want to protect it by "heeling in" a vacant flower bed where it may be kept before planting as long as dormant. This means laying it on its side and covering the roots with good soil. When you take it from the soil, give it a mud bath or "puddle" it. Puddling protects the roots from exposure to air before planting and also from any air pockets which may exist after plant­ing. Having filled the hole to the depth required by the roots of the plant, flood it with water to settle the soil at the bottom; when this has drained away, place the tree in the position in which it is to grow and settle the soil about it. Use a stick or shovel handle to work the soil around the roots, and make certain there are no air pockets. Spread the roots out naturally, planting the tree at about the same depth as in the nursery or its former loca­tion. When the hole is two-thirds full, trample it down and again fill with water. Don't firm down the re­maining soil, so that the water will drain towards the trunk.

A balled-and-burlapped tree is one dug with a solid ball of rich, heavy loam in which it has been growing in the nursery for years, its root system thus amply covered and protected. The ball is firmed and held in place by a secure covering of twine and burlap. To plant it, set the tree in a hole a trifle lower than it stood in the nursery. Work the soil beneath this depth, as di­rected above. Dig the hole about twice the size of your ball and plant at once. If the ground is dry at planting time, fill the hole with water and let it soak away before planting. Cut the burlap at the top when you put the ball in place, roll­ing it back 3 or 4 inches. Plant ball, burlap and all—the burlap will soon rot away.

If you are planting a big tree, it is transported in a truck, lowered to the ground by winches, rolled along a plank track on rollers and maneuvered into the exact center of the hole on a single board. A hold­ing rope from the truck to the base of the tree trunk helps to position the tree.

A Guide To Shade Trees

After the tree is planted, cutting back is proper. Cut back sharply at least one-third, pruning the branches. It is necessary to brace the tree with wire ropes so that the roots will not be broken by the wind. Use a single wire around the trunk and three guy wires.

For the first year after planting, the more cultivation the better.
Keep weeds away, too, with straw or mulch, and strawy manure mulch in the spring and fall will help keep the moisture in the ground.

Steps in planting a tree correctly. Shade trees do much to enhance both lawn and house.

Feeding Trees

When trees grow naturally in the forest, the leaves fall around them, decay and form a good soil. The leaves also preserve moisture in the soil. On a lawn, however, the tree must compete with the grass for moisture and nutrients, and the leaves are raked up to prevent grass disorders, so that the successful gardener finds it wise to supply nutrients every two or three years.

Feeding should be done when the ground is workable, in the spring or in the fall.

A difficult but worthwhile me­thod of feeding is to strip the sod from an area all around the tree extending at least 2 to 3 feet beyond the outer branches, since the root system extends this far. Apply stable or barnyard manure to this area, spreading it 3 inches thick and digging it in. Then firm the soil, rake it level and return the sod.

An easier method is to drill holes over the same area, 12 to 18 inches deep and spaced about 15 inches apart. Fill each hole with a commercial fertilizer (made up of bone meal, tankage, peat moss or humus) plus chemicals, in a for­mula containing 10% nitrogen,6% phosphoric acid and 4% potash.

Dining out of doors merits privacy. This barbecue has been placed in the corner of the property where it is protected on two sides by a fence and separated from other outdoor activities. A low stone wall extending from the fireplace provides additional seating space when entertaining.

Water and Trees

Because of the transpiration of a tree, especially in the hot days of summer, lawn and specimen trees must be watered at least every 10 days in summer to avoid trouble. Since the roots are deep, light wat­ering won't do. The hose or sprink­ler should be used for at least an hour. If the soil is hard packed, loosen it with a fork. For a large tree, drive or bore a number of 1 1/2 inch holes 3 to 5 inches deep and 3 feet apart, below the outer branches. Use a canvas hose or cover the hose with a gunny sack and let the water run. When planting new trees or small trees, if you put a few pieces of drain tile in the hole and put the hose in these, you can insure the water reaching the subsoil. Cover the drain-tile holes with stones to avoid evaporation.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...