loyS Rural School Leaflet 



SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PLANTING AND CARE OF TREES 



AND SHRUBS 



planting trees and shrubs 



In planting a tree or a shrub remember a few simple rules: 



1. Plant a tree or a shrub before it starts to grow in the spring. 



2. Do not dig up the tree or shrub imtil you are ready to reset it, and 

 never allow the roots to dry out between digging and setting. 



3. Dig the tree or shrub carefully and retain a good supply of roots. 

 Trim off broken or split roots, leaving the ends with a clean, sharp-cut 

 surface. 



4. Make the hole large enough to receive the roots without crowding, 

 and deep enough to set the tree or shrub about two inches lower than it 

 originally grew. 



5. In digging the hole in which the tree or shrub is to be set, keep the 

 surface soil and the subsoil in different piles. After the hole is dug, 

 throw some of the siirface soil into the bottom of it. Rich surface soil is 

 better for roots than subsoil. Do not put manure or fertilizer in the 

 bottom of the hole. 



6. Set the tree or shrub in the hole and arrange the roots carefully. 

 Be sure to keep the stem vertical, or plumb. 



7. Throw in a little surface soil and work it around and between the 

 roots with yoiu* fingers, so as to be sure that there are no air spaces left. 



8. Throw in more soil and firm it carefully around the roots until they 

 are covered. Then fill the hole, firming the soil constantly. The earth 

 around the tree — except in the case of a fruit tree — should be dished 

 slightly to catch the rain, and the surface should be covered with loose soil 

 that will act as a soil mulch. In the fall the soil around the tree should be 

 leveled in order to prevent water standing and freezing around the tree. 



9. Pi-une the top of the tree or shrub in order to balance the loss of 

 roots. This operation is necessary and must not be neglected because 

 the reset roots are not able to supply food for as many branches as there 

 formerly were. Thin out from one-third to one-half of the branches, 

 leaving the strongest ones to form the framework of the tree. 



I o . Protect the newly set tree or shrub from injury, and water it thoroughly 

 if the weather is dry. 



PRUNING 



As in the case of transplanting, pruning should be done before the leaves 

 start in the spring. On the school groimd the only pruning necessary 

 will be on fruit trees or on shrubs that have grown ragged and unshapely. 

 Pruning is interesting work because by means of it a tree can be trained 

 into a desirable shape. Remember these few rules: 



