Planting and Shaping Young Trees 
By J. C. Whitten, University of Missouri 
[Editors' Note. — All good gardeners should heed this article. A good beginning is never more important than in gardening, and the longer 
lived the subjects to be handled the more important is it that the preliminaries are properly seen to. It should ever be borne in mind that the 
after labor on a badly established plant or tree is greater than that given to a good one; or in other words, with the same amount of after care a tree 
properly set and started will outclass one that was handicapped at the start. Professor Whitten, whose very interesting researches onfall planting 
were published in The Garden Magazine for October, 1911, has conducted a series of careful experiments and practical observations 
on this most fundamental point — a proper beginning — and in this article presents his conclusions to our readers. Attention is particularly 
directed to the advice on “ Setting the Tree ” as embodying points of material value.] 
Peach pruned to single 
whip in setting usually 
starts a symmetrical 
head of new branches 
I T MAY be stated 
as a general rule 
the younger a tree 
is, the more 
readily it may be trans- 
planted without injury. 
The tissues of a young 
tree are more active 
and renew their parts 
more readily. A re- 
latively larger propor- 
tion of the root system 
also may be removed 
with the young tree, 
hence the latter is less 
disturbed in its ability 
to take necessary water 
and plant food from 
the soil after trans- 
planting. In trans- 
planting peaches, cherries, apricots, and 
Japanese plums, one year old trees usually 
give best results. In the case of apples, 
pears and European plums, one year old 
trees also are to be preferred, providing they 
are large and stocky, say four feet high or up- 
ward. Quinces, dwarf pears and slow grow- 
ing varieties of fruit trees are usually trans- 
planted at two years of age. Shade trees 
are usually older 
and have been pre- 
pared for removal by 
frequent transplant- 
ing in the nursery by 
which means a dense 
ball of roots has been 
developed in a small 
space. It is in this 
respect that “nurs- 
ery grown” stock 
has such great ad- 
vantage over col- 
lected material from 
the woods — it has 
been prepared for 
moving. 
Digging the holes. 
If the trees are to 
be set in orchard 
form, so the entire 
soil area may be pul- 
verized and thor- 
oughly prepared to a 
good depth, the 
holes should be dug 
only deep and wide 
enough to accom- 
modate the natural 
spread of the root 
system. Where trees 
are set in a lawn or 
,,, „ . . . , . sod, the holes should 
Well shaped two-year old ’ 
apple, before shaping be dug not leSS than 
three or four feet wide and fifteen inches 
deep. This is to kill all surrounding grass 
roots to a distance which will prevent their 
competition with the roots of the newly set 
tree. 
The walls of the holes should stand 
vertical, the earth being taken out around 
the edges so the bottoms will be level. This 
is to enable the roots to spread normally. If 
the bottom of the hole is narrow, deepest in 
the centre and curved upward at the outer 
edges, the roots of the tree are liable to curve 
upward toward their tips as the soil is pressed 
down in setting. 
Shaping the roots. If any ragged wounds 
exist where the main roots were cut in taking 
up the trees, such roots should be cut back 
to sound, uninjured tissue, with a sharp 
knife, making a smooth, clean cut. A 
smooth cut in fresh tissue will heal quickly 
and new roots may readily start from it. If 
any root is abnormally long it should be 
shortened, so it will not be bent or kinked in 
setting. It is difficult to firm the soil 
around a long root without leaving crooks in 
it. An abnormal crook in a root obstructs, 
the passage of water through its water 
tubes just as kinking a garden hose restricts 
the flow of water. 
If the small fibrous roots are alive, fresh, 
and turgid they may be left intact. If they 
are dry and dead they should be trimmed off. 
Ordinarily many of the smaller fibrous roots 
dry out and die in handling the tree before it 
is finally set. When dry these roots form 
springy, coiled masses around the main 
roots. If not trimmed off they prevent 
getting the soil in close, capillary contact 
with the main roots. The latter can take 
up moisture only if they come in close con- 
tact with moist, compact soil. 
Setting the tree. In setting the tree should 
be so oriented as to resist unfavorable 
climatic influences. For example, in the 
continental climate of the Central West, 
newly set trees soon begin to lean toward 
the northeast. This is partly because the 
prevailing winds are from the southwest 
during the growing season. Another im- 
portant factor, as determined at the 
Missouri Experiment Station, is alternate 
freezing and thawing of the southwest side 
of the tree during clear, sunny days in winter. 
On a clear sunny day in February the color- 
ing matter of the bark of the tree may 
absorb enough heat from the sun to raise the 
temperature of the growing layer of the 
south side of the tree twenty or more degrees 
above the temperature of the opposite side, 
which remains at atmospheric temperature. 
Often this surplus heat starts the cells of the 
south side of the tree into activity, or slight 
growth, while the cells on the north side re- 
100 
On this peach a single 
strong branch started. 
By pinching back addi- 
tional limbs were started 
main perfectly dorm- 
ant. As soon as the 
sun goes down the 
stimulated cells cool off 
suddenly to atmos- 
pheric temperature. 
This alternate heating 
up during the day and 
cooling off at night is 
very injurious to the 
affected tissue, causing 
“sunscald” on the 
south side. The unin- 
jured north side out- 
grows the injured south 
side and the unequal 
weight of limbs still 
farther tips the tree to 
the north. In any cli- 
mate a young tree tends to tip away from 
that direction from which come the more 
unfavorable storms, drying winds or other 
injurious climatic agencies. 
This difficulty may be opposed by setting 
the more resistant side of the tree toward the 
unfavorable influence. This side may be 
found by balancing the tree across the hand. 
Its trunk will roll until it comes at rest so the 
heavier branches or any curve in the trunk 
swing downward, toward the palm of the 
hand. Set this side of the tree toward the 
prevailing drying wind or scalding sunlight. 
It will then not easily bend in the opposite 
direction. 
The tree should be set about the same 
depth that it stood in the nursery. If set 
more shallow, the roots 
may dry out; if set 
deeper, the roots may 
not warm up and be 
sufficiently aerated to 
start growth promptly. 
The roots should take 
their normal position 
and the tree should 
stand upright. In fill- 
ing the hole the tree 
should be shaken with 
one hand and the fine 
earth should be shaken 
from the shovel with 
the other. As enough 
soil is spread in the 
hole to cover the outer 
tips of the roots it 
should be tramped firm 
with the feet. A few 
inches more soil should 
then be shaken in and 
this again tramped 
firm. Thoroughly firm- 
mg the soil about the pruned at the time of 
roots, from the bottom transplanting 
