Evergreens are a type of tree that many of us love to have in our lawns. They provide valuable shade during the summer months and a festive taste of the holidays during the winter. They are also nice to have year round for many who may enjoy watching the leaves change colors in the fall but enjoy that nice touch of green year round. If you are considering adding some evergreen trees or shrubs to your landscaping I hope you’ll seriously consider them once you find out how easy planting evergreen trees really is, even for the novice gardener.
My personal favorite evergreen is the Blue Spruce. This tree is lovely year round but particularly so when it is covered in a light dusting of snow. Perhaps it is my love of the holidays and the images of Christmas that I can have with me throughout the year but I wouldn’t trade my Blue Spruce for all the oaks in my back yard. The good news is that planting an evergreen such as this isn’t all too difficult a task if the time ever comes when I need to replace this particular tree.
The first step whenever you are planting evergreens or anything that requires digging is to call your utility company to make sure that there are no underground lines that would be at risk or place you at risk in the process of digging. Once that is taken care of and you are all clear to dig in you chosen location you should dig a hole that is at leave twice as wide as the container holding your evergreen. You should also be sure that you strip the sod away from the hole in order to provide plenty of room for mulching.
If the tree is larger it is quite likely that cutting away the container from the root ball will be the best possible option as lifting the tree from the container may lead to damaging the branches. When you actually plant the tree into the hole you should be certain that you are not only providing adequate nutrients in the soil but also that you are providing plenty of water in the process. You should use the opportunity to create a reservoir for water when mulching.
Early autumn is an ideal time of year in which to plant evergreen trees. You need to be sure that you are planting early enough that the tree has adequate time to take root a bit before the first big freeze tests its strength and resolve. If you live in a cooler climate you should plant the roots a little bit deeper in order to provide extra insulation from the freezing surface. You should also take great care to make sure you keep your evergreen properly watered throughout the fall. This will help prevent the drying out of needles in the winter months to which other trees fall victim. The most important thing to remember when planting evergreens is that in time this tree will be the stuff that wonderful memories are made of for both you and your family.
