1. The world is happier with trees:
Seriously, areas with trees have a lower crime rate and illness rates. This isn’t just because wealthy areas have brighter gardens and street trees: when trees and greenery are planted in disaffected areas the graffiti and other more serious crimes decrease as the trees grow bigger. It seems we humans are just happier with trees about us.
2. Save money:
Grow fruit and nut trees to add nuts to your muesli, apples to snack on, oranges for your morning juice, mandarins for the kid’s lunch boxes, avocadoes for dinner and plums for jam and chutney. About 60 percent of our family’s food comes from the trees in our garden; some days it’s much more than that, especially if you count the eggs from garden-fed backyard chooks.
3. Warmth and shade:
A deciduous tree will cool you in summer, then let in sunlight in winter. In humid areas go for tall trees such as palms that will shade the roof but let breezes flow through the garden.
4. Memories:
I measure my life in our garden’s growth: the lime trees I planted the year my son was born, the daphne I planted when my grandmother died, the cuttings from
friends. Kids love to see who grows fastest, them or the tree. The tree always wins in the end, but by then it doesn’t matter.
5. Friendship:
No two trees are the same. You never quite know what your tree will look like in 20 years’ time. And, yes, a tree can be your friend, silent and solid in your garden.
6. Beauty:
Trees are big — that means a lot of loveliness, whether it’s from many-hued autumn leaves or massed flowers of jacarandas or the bright fruit of oranges or red apples or the yellow glow of lemons. I love the dappled bark of smoke bushes and crepe myrtle and spotted gums, one of my favourite trees of all. And this is the perfect time to fall in love with a good tree: the soil is still warm, the days not too hot. This is a time to wander into the garden, and start planting.
How to plant a tree:
1. Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the pot the tree is in, or the tree’s roots if you are planting a “bare rooted” tree later in winter.
2. Take out any rocks from the soil.
3. Make a slight hill of dirt inside the hole to rest the centre of the tree’s roots on.
4. Stand your tree in the hole, so the soil level is the same as it was in its pot. Add more soil to the mound if it’s not high enough, or push some away if it’s too high.
5. Push the rest of the soil back into the hole around the roots.
6. Stamp hard on the soil to make sure it’s firm around the roots. Roots don’t get fed or watered if there are air pockets.
7. Let the hose dribble in the slight depression around the tree for about an hour. This will mean that the water really trickles down to below root level, and will compact any tiny air holes too.
8. Mulch, making sure the mulch is at least 20cm away from the tree trunk. Mulch too close to the trunk can cause wood rot in young trees.
9. Scatter on some slow-release plant food (follow directions on the packet).
10. Water once a week for a year, and once a month for the next two years.
11. In windy areas, or if your young tree is 2m high or more when you plant it, place three stakes about a metre away from the trunk, then use plant ties to loosely attach the trunk to the stakes. Don’t use one stake in the middle — the tree trunk will grow tall and thin and dependent on the stake and may snap when it’s removed. The three stakes will allow for a bit of “wind rock”, so the roots are firmer and your tree will be hardier and better able to withstand more wind and storms when it’s older.
12. If a branch is in the way, cut it out. It’s best to do this when the branch is only a young shoot so there’s a smaller wound to the tree. If you have to cut large branches, cover with anti-fungal paint. Any garden nursery will have a selection for you to choose from. Just follow instructions.
13. If your tree wilts on hot summer days, don’t worry — it’ll recover. But if it is still wilted at night, it needs water. A tree is an investment in time and money and happiness. And trees are loved, not just by you and your family, but by passers-by as well. Like all old friends, your trees deserve a bit of tending.
Your say: Have you planted trees before? What tree care tips can you share with us? [email protected]
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