Pointers on Planting 



grove effects, a goal mainly sought 

 only in windbreak plantings. 



Some trees, like white oak, live oak, 

 black walnut, and elm, need 50 to 60 

 feet between the trunks at maturity. 

 Smaller trees, like willow, dogwood, 

 and holly, need about 20 feet. Red- 

 cedar, fir, hemlock, and spruce need 20 

 to 30 feet, but if they are used for 

 windbreaks they may be planted as 

 close as 8 to 10 feet. Columnar varie- 

 ties like juniper, Lombardy poplar, 

 and arborvitae frequently need only 6 

 to 8 feet. A Sunday afternoon's stroll 

 through a park or an open grove in 

 the country will yield enough informa- 

 tion on bole size and crown area of 

 mature trees of several species. The 

 basic point to remember is to plant far 

 enough from buildings, walks, and 

 driveways to obviate costly moving or 

 much pruning when the trees are big. 



PREPARATION OF THE SITE: The 

 usual advice is to transplant a tree in 

 soil at least as good as the soil in which 

 it previously grew. That advice is 

 sound enough where it can be applied, 

 but planting stock frequently comes 

 from rich, well-drained nursery sites 

 and has to be reset in inferior soil. In 

 such instances, some site preparation 

 is essential. 



Drainage is of first importance. 

 Sometimes heavy clay soil or hardpan 

 is encountered at the bottom of the 

 planting hole, but is fortunately under- 

 lain by sand or gravel. If so, puncture 

 the compacted layer several times with 

 a large soil auger, post-hole digger, or 

 similar tool and fill the resulting holes 

 with gravel. This will permit water to 

 percolate downward into the pervious 

 sand or gravel layer beneath. For small 

 seedling stock, a 3- to 5-inch layer of 

 gravel at the bottom of the hole is all 

 that is needed. 



If the soil is especially tight and is 

 not underlain by a sand or gravel layer, 

 the use of agricultural tile is recom- 

 mended. A single line of 3- or 4-inch 

 tile laid across the bottom of the hole 

 and barely covered by a layer of 

 crushed rock or coarse gravel will help 



drainage. The bottom of the hole 

 should slope toward the tile, which 

 should be carried to a suitable outlet. 



In digging the hole, the good topsoil 

 should be set aside and saved for back- 

 filling. Since the soil dug out of holes 

 is often infertile and either too heavy 

 or too light, it is advisable to mix ma- 

 terial into it to improve texture and 

 fertility. In heavy soils, a mixture of 

 one-third topsoil, one-third sand or 

 weathered cinders that are screened to 

 remove large chunks, and one-third 

 mixture of equal parts of peat moss and 

 subsoil is recommended. Well-rotted 

 manure, finely chopped sod, leafmold, 

 or weed compost may be substituted 

 for peat moss. In light soils, the recom- 

 mended mixture for backfilling is one- 

 third topsoil, one-third peat moss, 

 rotted manure, leafmold, compost, or 

 finely chopped sod, and one-third mix- 

 ture of equal parts of subsoil and sand 

 or cinders. Turn over these mixtures 

 three or four times with a shovel, sepa- 

 rating out all stones, the larger woody 

 root fragments, and other trash. 



On the more unsatisfactory sites, as 

 beach sands or where grading or ero- 

 sion has exposed a gravelly, cemented 

 subsoil, it is advisable to dig out entire 

 bed areas or enlarged holes and fill 

 them in with friable, fertile new soil. 



Temptation is ever present to add 

 mineral fertilizers in preparing the site 

 for planting. The wise man will sub- 

 due this urge. He will just see that the 

 soil is well drained, has abundant mois- 

 ture, and is of proper tilth to permit 

 good aeration. 



DIGGING BARE-ROOT STOCK: Until 

 they are 15 to 20 feet high, deciduous 

 species (like pin oak, sycamore, locust, 

 elm, maple, willow, ash, yellow-poplar, 

 and basswood) that shed their leaves 

 each autumn and remain leafless over 

 winter can be easily moved with bare 

 roots. Other deciduous species (like 

 white oak, blackgum, persimmon, hick- 

 ory, walnut, dogwood, and birch) can 

 also be moved bare-rooted, but they 

 recover more slowly and require more 

 care to insure survival. 



