Avoiding premature mortality is easy. Here's how to plant trees properly

A great idea, which of course we can only applaud. However, despite the high age that trees can reach, in practice we see that many specimens die within just a few years of planting and need to be replaced.

Simple, or not?

The cause for this problem is not far to seek. All too often, in fact, trees are planted without considering their specific needs and requirements. Things like soil life, texture and structure, but also humus content or pH value. In addition, fertilization is often forgotten, with the result that trees do not grow properly, carry only small, pale leaves and do not produce new shoots or extra leaves.

However, all these problems can be avoided by making sufficiently large planting pits, using the right soil conditioner and mixing it well into the planting pit and backfill soil. A dose of nutrition, support material and moisture, and you're done. It's that simple. And yet every year in Flanders thousands of trees have to be replanted because one or more of the cited factors were not met.

10 concrete concerns

As a reminder, we list the 10 most important points of interest in planting:

1. Choose the right species and consider the available space. Pay attention to crown shape and surroundings.

2. Provide adequate space for the root system. Remember that the root system becomes as large in circumference as the crown.

3. Ensure that the purchased trees have a sufficiently large and healthy root system.

4. Analyze the soil in which to plant and ensure sufficient organic matter (at least 2.5 to 3%).

5. Make sufficiently large planting pits - double the root ball - and work the bottom of the planting pit. Even if the planting pit is made by crane, the soil should be spit and mixed with soil conditioner. This is because in heavy soils, planting pits quickly begin to act as bathtubs: excess water cannot escape and roots die.

6. Provide fertilizer and soil conditioners, such as Agrosil® LR, Karisol® Complex and Basacote® Plus 16-8-12, at the proper mixing ratio.

7. Make sure the tree is not planted too deep.

8. Ensure that no soil compaction can occur in the root zone, such as from parked vehicles. Soil compaction will cause the water-air ratio in the soil to be completely pulled out of balance, again resulting in root death. Not only the soil, but also soil life, for that matter, will wither away as a result.

9. Don't forget to water in a timely manner. During dry periods, adequate watering is an absolute must.

10. Give fertilizer regularly so that all the elements for a healthy and growing tree are present.

Revitalization is possible!

For already planted but low-growth trees, it is not necessarily too late. A revitalization program can suffice in such cases. To do this, drill four to six holes per tree bed - 10 centimeters in diameter and 35 to 40 centimeters deep each time - and fill them in an even distribution with 10 to 20 liters of Karisol® Complex and 1.5 kilograms of Basacote® Plus 16-8-12 (coated fertilizer). Use Basacote® Plus with six months release time when applied in later spring (April, May, June) and with nine months when applied in early spring (February, March). If the tree in question has limited growing space, this treatment should be repeated every two years.