Adding a new tree or shrub to your garden is a great way to enhance your outdoor space. Whether you’re looking to attract wildlife, create shade, or add privacy and depth to your home, you can find a shape and size for any preference.
However, it’s a skilful art to plant your tree and help it settle in. From choosing the right species to plant to appropriate care and watering, you’ll need patience and persistence to support strength and healthy growth. We’ve put together our top tips to make things easier for you, whether you’ve just got the gardening gloves on or you’re a veteran green fingers.
1. Mulching
It’s important to pack moisture and nutrients into your tree to sustain healthy growth, even into maturity. ‘Mulching’ is the process of spreading a protective layer (such as bark, compost or straw) around a plant or tree to shield from wind and evaporation, helping to retain moisture in the soil and insulate roots. As the material breaks down over time, it also deposits rich nutrients into the soil to nurture growth.
Mulching is also great for inhibiting weed growth, but you may find some still appear. If this is the case, make sure to pull them out by hand, as hoes or other excavating tools are likely to damage newly formed roots from your tree. Place around 5-10cm depth of mulch around the base of your tree, taking care to leave a distance away from the trunk to avoid rot or pest issues.
2. Watering
Keeping your plant hydrated is important for vitality, but remember that overwatering may also cause issues down the line. It’s important to sustain moisture in the roots from juvenility all the way up to maturity. This is because young plants require the time to grow deeper where they can absorb moisture underground if the top layer of soil dries out. With England’s current climate, this is becoming increasingly important to monitor, especially with summer’s record breaking temperatures and long, dry, hot days.
We’d recommend drip irrigation such as a leaky pipe, to gradually rehydrate your trees, even when you’re out and about. Otherwise, soak the soil around your plants twice a week in dry weather for around five minutes. If you spot any wilting, water them right away.
A lack of hydration is likely to stunt growth and vitality and eventually kill your tree. When it comes to the best way to avoid overwatering, refrain from watering every day. Provide deep, slow watering sessions to allow the moisture to penetrate the soil deeply, encouraging the roots to grow downward. Adjust your watering schedule depending on the weather, reducing watering sessions during more rainy weather.
To avoid waterlogging, it’s best to check the soil moisture before all else. Push your finger 2-3 inches into the soil. If this depth feels dry, it’s time to hydrate it. If it’s moist, it’s best to leave for a few days and check again.
3. Trimming new plants
It’s best to avoid trimming your new tree for at least a year, unless you are removing dead or damaged branches. Excessive pruning can stress a young tree and hinder its growth.
When it comes to hedges, it’s best to wait for the winter to trim them. During the winter period, hedges enter a dormant growth phase, meaning it is growing at a much slower rate than summer. Cutting it back at this time reduces stress on the plant to compensate for lost growth, and as a result, mitigates the chance of shocking it. This also encourages healthy spring growth once the seasons change.
Refrain from removing lower branches early in the trees life- these lower branches support foliage that works as a pump to provide nutrients to the roots and girth to the bole of the tree, which helps with the trees stability.
4. Substances to avoid
Be mindful that weed killers can be detrimental to new trees and shrubs. When the roots are still settling into the ground, they can absorb any herbicide treatments that are sprayed nearby. Placing fertilisers or pesticides nearby could have a similar consequence. It may be tempting to work on weeds near your plant, but it’s best to do this by hand to avoid any further damage.
A layer of mulch that is too thick may also cause issues. Placing too thick of a layer of mulch against your tree trunk, known as “volcano mulching”, can trap moisture, cause pests or rot, and reduce circulation. Ensure to spread your mulch flatly and evenly around the base of the tree.
5. Protect against the elements
While your tree or shrub is putting all its energy into growing new roots, it’s important to shield them against wind to prevent them from toppling.
When it comes to hedges, even evergreens may shed their leaves during the establishment process. Don’t panic – just make sure to keep them protected. Green mesh is an easy, cost effective material for a makeshift windbreak. Erect the mesh with stakes to add stability for your plant.
In the same way, stakes can be used to secure a juvenile tree from toppling during more turbulent seasons.
6. Good things come to those who wait
Growing a new tree or shrub takes effort, consistency and patience, but it’s worth the wait. It can take 1-3 years for a juvenile plant to establish within a garden, and on some occasions its health may regress before improving.
A healthy, steadily growing tree is likely to boast vibrant green leaves that are free of spots or wilting are a good sign that it is settling in well. New shoots, branches or leaves may also suggest you’re doing the right thing.
Bespoke advice from Dr Stump
It’ll take time, but eventually you’ll end up with a strong fledgling tree or shrub with our best top tips. Our team of qualified tree surgeons at Dr Stump have a wealth of arboricultural knowledge to guide you on popular gardening facts and questions, or catered recommendations for your garden space.
Get in touch for expert knowledge, exemplary customer service, and transparency throughout your quotation process.
