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TOP TEN WAYS TO KILL YOUR TREES AND SHRUBS
Several years ago I wrote two columns on the right way to plant a tree. If you would like copies of those columns, contact me at by email or stop by the newspaper office.
My topic for this column is how not to plant a tree. These 10 tongue-in-cheek rules for killing your trees and shrubs come from Dr. Gary Johnson, head of the urban forestry department at the University of Minnesota. Here are Gary's surefire rules for ensuring that the trees and shrubs you plant will surely fail.
1. Buy plants based on cost, not quality. Bonus points are awarded if you buy them from discount stores, home improvement centers, gas or service stations, or any business that stores its plants on parking lot surfaces. Honor the philosophy that cheap, scruffy looking plants are just as good as more expensive, healthy looking plants as long as you give them tender, loving care.
2. When planting trees and shrubs, deeper is better. Treat all trees and shrubs like impatiens and tomatoes. Totally disregard how trees and shrubs grow in natural areas (roots at the surface). Totally disregard research-based information documenting problems with trees and shrubs that were planted too deep. Repeat the mantra, "Anyone can plant a tree, anyone can plant a tree, anyone can plant a tree."
3. Mulch all trees and shrubs with an architectural flair, piling mulch in the shape of a cone against the stem as high as the mulch will hold the angle. Freshen the mulch annually and keep it wet at all times. Mulch heights should be "knee high by the 4th of July."
4. Fear pruning. Never remove a branch or extra leader with included bark if you can ask "What's the worst that could happen if I leave it?"
5. Rely on rainfall to water your trees and shrubs. Bonus points awarded if you further rely on local meteorologists to predict when that rainfall will occur.
6. Never, ever have your soil tested for pH or organic matter, and never conduct a percolation test or test soil for compaction before you plant a new tree or shrub. This is totally unnecessary if you always plant native trees and shrubs.
7. Water your trees and shrubs with an irrigation system designed for turf. Bonus points awarded if the irrigation system is computerized and timed to come on at a certain time every day. Extra bonus points if you've also followed the advice from rule #5 and 6.
8. When removing branches, always flush cut. Bonus points awarded if you smooth off the cut with a belt sander and paint it black.
9. Believe that trees and shrubs are biologically in sync with one-year, nursery guarantees. Believe also that if your trees and shrubs make it through that first year, they are capable of flourishing on their own.
10. Finally, and most important, believe all carpenters, builders, excavators, engineers, lawn-mowing companies, utility contractors and neighbors when they tell you "Don't worry, we've been doing this for ___ years (fill in the blank), and we've never killed a tree yet." Never, EVER turn to a forester or horticulturist for advice, unless you have a question about plumbing or brain surgery or the stock market.
I've received many calls this spring and summer about maples that are dying or failed to leaf out properly. The same newsletter that featured Gary Johnson's 10 rules (above) also discussed reasons for maple decline.
Maple decline
I've received many calls this spring and summer about maple trees that are dying or failed to leaf out properly. The same newsletter that featured Gary Johnson's 10 rules (above) also discussed reasons for maple decline. Here are some of the most common causes of maple decline:
Verticillium wilt. Symptoms of this soil-borne fungi generally show up in July and August. Most often, a single stem or limb section will die first, followed by other limb sections of the tree.
Severe moisture stress. Last summer's drought conditions caused some maples to suffer. This summer's dry conditions (in many locations) will cause additional stress.
Root loss and root compaction. Construction damage is stressful to maples and decline can occur years after actual construction work was completed.
Bud failure. Leaf buds can fail to develop on some maples due to winter winds, de-icing sprays and salt runoff.
Improper growing zone. Some maples aren't winter hardy in Minnesota because the seed source for the declining tree came from a warmer growing zone.
Stem-girdling roots. Stem-girdling roots, which are usually caused by planting a tree too deep, can kill a seemingly healthy maple tree 10, 15 or more years after planting.
Of all these possible culprits, UofM researchers attribute most maple decline to a combination of seed source, a tough winter, and unhardy varieties.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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