Changes

Watering cannot be by rule, but must depend on examination of both ball of earth in the center and the outer roots. The difficulty will be to keep the ball of earth sufficiently damp on account of the rapid withdrawing of moisture by the roots. The danger will be that the soil outside the ball of earth will take up the water too rapidly, remain saturated several days and rot the roots. Examination is best done by shovel and fork, digging down 1½ feet both in the ball and outside. An easier way is to bore into the soil with an auger. It will usually be found that the central ball of earth is dry and dusty in the summer even if the surface and outer soil is damp. The growth of weeds and grass will indicate the same. A good way to water is to make a basin around the width of the ball of earth, fill it with water 6 inches deep, make crowbar holes into the ball for it to soak in. Many mistakes are made in overwatering— letting the hose run all night or watering every day, thereby rotting the roots.

Watering cannot be by rule, but must depend on examination of both ball of earth in the center and the outer roots. The difficulty will be to keep the ball of earth sufficiently damp on account of the rapid withdrawing of moisture by the roots. The danger will be that the soil outside the ball of earth will take up the water too rapidly, remain saturated several days and rot the roots. Examination is best done by shovel and fork, digging down 1½ feet both in the ball and outside. An easier way is to bore into the soil with an auger. It will usually be found that the central ball of earth is dry and dusty in the summer even if the surface and outer soil is damp. The growth of weeds and grass will indicate the same. A good way to water is to make a basin around the width of the ball of earth, fill it with water 6 inches deep, make crowbar holes into the ball for it to soak in. Many mistakes are made in overwatering— letting the hose run all night or watering every day, thereby rotting the roots.

Mulching is frequently neglected, the tree starving for lack of humus. A close cut lawn around a newly planted tree may be the ideal of neatness, but it means starvation and thirst for the tree and is the principal cause of slow growth over several years, making new, bare and ugly landscapes. The mulch should extend as wide as the roots and be from 3 to 6 inches deep, of strawy manure, leaves, grass, salt hay or similar organic matter. Too much manure may sour the soil and rot the roots, if it lies heavy and compact and keeps out the air. Light strawy manure is better. If the mulch blows about and is untidy, it may be kept in position by wire netting, earth, or the planting of small shrubs. Henry Hicks.

Mulching is frequently neglected, the tree starving for lack of humus. A close cut lawn around a newly planted tree may be the ideal of neatness, but it means starvation and thirst for the tree and is the principal cause of slow growth over several years, making new, bare and ugly landscapes. The mulch should extend as wide as the roots and be from 3 to 6 inches deep, of strawy manure, leaves, grass, salt hay or similar organic matter. Too much manure may sour the soil and rot the roots, if it lies heavy and compact and keeps out the air. Light strawy manure is better. If the mulch blows about and is untidy, it may be kept in position by wire netting, earth, or the planting of small shrubs.

 

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