If you have a plan for planting trees around your home or business, you probably hope they’ll stay healthy and stand firm for a long time. Trees can become unhealthy and sick-looking without the proper soil health to grow and draw nutrients.
Preparing appropriate soil to plant trees supports their flourishing appearance and longevity. This guide will discuss soil preparation for tree planting, including best practices and mistakes in soil preparation. Stay with us for a clear and concise idea about soil preparation before your next plantation.
Why Is Soil Preparation So Important?
Plants are living organisms that need the right amount of water, nutrients, and oxygen to survive. Soil preparation keeps the plants strong, healthy, and thriving. Yet most of us pay little attention to this critical aspect.
Tree roots collect nutrients and water from the soil. And it is tough for tree routes to penetrate on a hard soil surface. Soil preparation makes the soil loose and soft, giving easy access to tree roots. Prepared soil structure allows your plants to absorb those nutrients properly. It makes the garden soil fertile and well-drained. At the same time, increases moisture retention and is properly aerated.
Understanding Your Soil Type
What type of soil is best for growing plants? The answer, like so many answers in tree care, is that it depends. In this case, your climate and the kind of tree you want to plant affect how well the saplings you plant will grow. There are three types of soil: clay soil, sandy soil, and silt.
Clay Soil
Clay soils are old, tightly packed soils that form and condense over long periods of time. They’re found all over the world, including in most parts of the States. One sure way to recognize clay soil is if water sits around after rain or if your soil is sticky. According to the United States Department of Agriculture‘s soil triangle, soil is considered clay when it contains 40 to 100 percent clay. The clay particles are tiny. They pack tightly, stick together, and squeeze out the air channels that plants and microbes need to survive.
Sandy Soil
Sandy soils have a high proportion of sand and little clay. Sandy soils drain quickly after rain or watering and are easy to cultivate and work with. They warm up more quickly in spring than clay soils. However, on the downside, they dry out quickly and have lower amounts of nutrients. These nutrients are also quickly washed out by rain because of its high drainage tendency.
Slit Soil
Silt, is a solid sediment that is similar to dust. It can be transported and deposited by water, ice and wind. Silt soil is made up of particles of rock and mineral particles that are larger than clay but smaller than sand.
Loamy Soil
Loamy soil is an ideal mixture for gardening. The loam soil texture consists of equal parts of sand, silt, and clay soil. With enhanced soil fertility, loam soil’s physical and chemical properties make it suitable for a wide range of plant growth.
3 Best Practices of Soil Preparation for Tree Planting
There are many practices for soil preparation before tree planting. Some practices are unavoidable in any kind of plantation, and some enhance the results. Here, we are discussing basic practices before planting a tree.
Assessing the Site
Inspect the place where you have decided to plant trees. In urban areas, the topsoil becomes compact due to external pressures like construction and heavy foot or vehicle traffic. In compact soil, squeezed air pockets fail to hold enough oxygen. Derbies and unwanted grassroots share the nutrients that can cause slower growth of planted trees. Look out for such issues in the land you have selected.
Refine the Soil
Naturally, any specific place contains a specific type of soil. Often, the type is not ideal for plantation. Sometimes, it is compact and hard or too soft, with more or less drainage. Subsoiling and digging to loosen the soil will ensure the trees’ roots are exposed to air pockets at the same time removing excess water that could hamper their growth. Use a moderate amount of fertilizer before planting. Organic fertilizers have more positive impacts on the trees. Make a layer of soil amendments for long-term nutrient supply.
Digging and Planting
Modern methods suggest digging a planting hole that is much wider—two to five times as wide as the root ball. Maybe even wider on sites with very poor, compacted soil. The hole sides should be slanted, and the hole should be no deeper than the root ball, which is tall so it can be placed directly on undisturbed soil.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Soil Preparation
When preparing soil, one common mistake is not testing the soil before planting. Soil testing gives a proper hint about the pH range in the soil. Poor soil quality with an abnormal pH range can lead to plants not getting the nutrients they need or to drainage problems if the soil is too sandy or clay-like. Another mistake is adding too much of one type of amendment, such as sand or compost. This can imbalance the soil and make it difficult for plants to grow in it. People sometimes forget to add organic matter to their soil, which can improve its quality and help it retain moisture. Here, we have listed the 3 most common mistakes in soil preparation with their negative impacts on your trees.
1. Over-Fertilizing or Under-Fertilizing
When applying fertilizer, always read and follow all label directions carefully. Remember, too much fertilization can permanently damage trees and plants. Excess fertilizer alters the soil by creating a relatively high nitrogen salt concentration. Additionally, high nitrogen levels can harm beneficial soil microorganisms. Using organic compost fertilizers reduces the risk of sulfur contamination and keeps the soil pH less acidic. Over-fertilizing damages the root system due to imbalanced pH levels.
2. Ignoring Soil PH Requirements
Ignoring plant needs, such as soil pH, could result in plant decline, often leading to plant death. pH values lower than 4 often cause immediate damage to the roots. In addition, heavy metals, including manganese and iron, are absorbed so well that they can poison the plant (necrosis). Values between 7 and 8 are not immediately harmful to the plant.
3. Failing to Clear the Area Properly Before Planting
Most plants will never grow properly if you don’t loosen, improve, and basically “fluff up” your garden beds before planting. They’ll rot in poor drainage during wet weather. Eventually, they die during droughts because their roots haven’t penetrated deeper into the soil.
When’s the Best Time to Plant a New Tree?
The fall after leaf drop and early spring are ideal times to plant new trees. The planting time also depends on the species you are planting. Species native to colder regions can be planted at the end of winter. Some African and Asian species need immediate rainfall after plantation. Do your research and try to choose native species as they have a demographic survival tendency in their genetics.
Conclusion
Planting trees is not only a hobby but also can be part of a full-time career. Planting fruit trees gives you fresh, colorful, and tasty rewards, while professional plantation unleashes a self-dependent career.
If you are facing any plantation issues or require guidance, feel free to contact Dynasty Tree Experts. With over 10 years of trusted, family-owned, and operated experience, we deliver quality at competitive prices. We are a landscaping company that specializes in residential and commercial landscaping. Contact Us today for free consultations with an actual quote.