Thank you for taking the time to read or reply to this message in advance,
We just planted 3 new trees in the backyard and would like to now if there is a need to fertilize them now with a rooting compound or just keep them well watered until they are established. We live in Utah and summer rainfall is very little if at all and would like the peach, corkscrew willow, and a honeylocust to get off to a good start before the dry spell comes along.
Any freshly plant tree tips you can offer is gladly accepted too.
Keep them watered, it can take 2 years for a tree to become established and develop root systems sufficient to support the tree without watering. One of the best things you could do is keep an organic mulch around the trees to hold soil moisture and decay into humus rich soil. The mulch also means the trees won't have to compete with turf or weeds for nutrients. Here grass clippings work well so do wood chips. Just keep the mulch a few inches back from the trunks and extend it out at least as far as the tree is tall. Spoiled hay would work so would nut shells or shredded bark. Here I tend to use whatever is free but many people buy their mulches. If you want to fertillize next year 3 lbs of 5-10-5 or 10-10-10 per
The ISA has a series of brochures to answer your basic questions at
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and specifically
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you followed those steps correctly, just make sure the trees get enough water. In the beginning, water poured in the container soil might just leach out into the native soil, where the trees have no roots. Once or twice a day, put a hose at the base just long enough to saturate the original root ball. After a week or so of this, start widening your scope and taper off gradually (eventually, the trees should have roots extending 2X-3X their height, mostly in the top
12"-24"). Always stick a finger in the soil before watering to make sure it isn't staying soaked all the time. After a month, you can probably water once a week. After a six months to a year (how hot is it there in summer?) you can taper off completely except in times of drought. deeper watering, less often should be your ultimate goal.
You already planted. A few mistakes are so severe that if you made them, you should dig the trees up and plant them again. Check for these three:
If they were b&b, you should have removed the burlap and wire/string that held it. If you got all you could but left some under the root ball, that's ok. If there is a thick wire or nylon cord wrapped around the trunk, that's very bad. If there is burlap all the way around the root ball and no direct contact with native soil, that's very bad. If there is a wire basket around the root ball, that is very bad.
If they were in containers, they may have been victims of poor nursery practices. First, they tend to get planted deeper and deeper as they are potted up. By the time you get them, the primary root flares may be several inches deep. This is very bad. The primary root flare should be visible at the surface and able to dry out in fair weather. Also, if trees stay in a small pot too long, roots can circle around the outside and create a "noose" for the trunk that won't actually "do the job" for many years. If both these problems are combined, layers of fine, adventitious roots form in the added soil, creating a blanket of little girdling roots to choke the major flares later.
Third, if you planted it too deep (because of the nursery or just because that's how you did it), that's very bad (for the reasons cited above). You should locate the primary root flares, and if they are below the surrounding grade, dig the tree up and plant it higher. Do it now, while it's still relatively easy. If you simply can't or won't, at least remove the excess soil in a wide, shallow bowl or build a tree well to let the root system breathe. Ruthlessly remove any roots that circle the trunk or cross over a primary flare. Mulch thoroughly.
good luck,
Keith Babberney ISA Certified Arborist For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit
Run a length of 1/2" PVC pipe up into the crown of each tree. Terminate with a 360 degree mist head. Run a water line to each piece and mist the trees 1 hour in the morning at sunrise and 1 hour in the evening just prior to sunset.
No fertilizer for 30 days then use a balanced fertilizer, 2 cups per tree
1 foot outside the root ball to 6 inches from the trunk.
Mulch with a good mulch (don't know what you use in Utah. Here we use cypress) leaving a 6" gap at the trunk of the tree.
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