A common mistake people make when planting a tree is to directly plant it into the ground from the container. Below are guidelines to follow to make sure you have planted your tree in the most optimal way possible.

Location

Choose the right tree for your site, and the right site for your tree!

Avoid planting tree’s close to one another and take into account potential obstacles for growth such as overhead or underground utilities that may prevent your new tree from thriving.

Once a tree has been removed you won’t be able to plant another tree in that same spot immediately, and should wait for a few years. 

• Roots from previous tree impeding growth of new tree
• Soil stripped of nutrients from former tree
• Disease or insect that killed the former tree could still be present in the soil and infect the new tree

Timing

Winter and early spring are the best times to plant new trees.

When temperatures are cooler, trees are less active and can handle the stress of planting better. Planting before the growing season gives new trees an opportunity to become established before the stress of summer heat

Site Preparation

Before digging, especially if planting a larger tree, locate any underground irrigation or utility lines so that they will not be damaged. In Texas, homeowners (or their contractors) are required to contact Texas811 two business days before digging, even in their own yard.

• Remove turf grass or other ground cover before digging
• Dig the right-sized hole for the tree you are planting
• In general, the hole should be three times the diameter of the container or roots of the tree to be planted

Planting

We have two guides that will show you how to plant a tree so you can avoid common issues like; girdling roots, improper depth, over/underwatering. The following links can be found here:

• How to Plant a Tree
• How to Plant a Tree How-to Video

Initial Care

Plan to water your new tree at least once a week in the spring, fall, and winter, and twice a week in the summer. We have to guides that can be found here:

• Tree Watering Guide
• How to Water a Tree How-to Video

Maintain a proper mulch radius (3″-4″ deep, two to three feet from the trunk) around your new tree, adding more mulch as needed and as the tree grows. Learn more about mulch here:

• Benefits of Mulch
• How to Apply Mulch How-to Video

Trimming

Young trees do not need to be trimmed for several years, but may benefit from structural pruning.

Additional Resources

Texas A&M Forest Service has tree planting guidelines online. In addition the International Society of Arboriculture also offers planting tips.

Trees are living organisms and can get a weakened immune system similarly as an animal or plant would. Watering and mulching are easy first steps to ensuring your tree stays healthy. We have a few more tips to help your tree thrive

Watering

With our hot, dry summers, and tendency for drought conditions, proper watering is the best thing tree owners can do to help their trees.

Mulching

The importance of mulching is often overlooked, especially when trees are planted in an area covered with turf grass, but mulch is an easy way to manage soil moisture, temperature, and contribute nutrients to less-than-ideal soils.

Fertilization and Soil Amendments

Fertilization can be a touchy subject; most readily-available fertilizers are not designed to improve soil and feed trees in the long term. Some products, like “weed and feed” treatments, can actually harm trees. For sustainable, long-term improvement, a balanced mix of organic and inorganic fertilizers and soil additives yield the best results.

Trimming

• Timing

Depending on your goals for trimming, it may be better to trim during different times of the year.

• Maintenance Trimming

Maintenance trimming is what most healthy trees need to maintain their health and balanced growth and is generally recommended every two years for mature trees.

• Specialized Trimming

Structural pruning is generally performed on young trees, structural pruning helps to establish balanced, healthy growth.

Restoration pruning is generally performed when a tree has been topped, or has sustained other physical damage, restoration pruning can be used to guide it back to a natural shape.

Retrenchment pruning is generally performed on older trees that have less vigor and ability to sustain new growth and can often benefit from directed trimming that reduces overall size and weight while maintaining health.

Tree Health Care

At all stages of life, trees can suffer from stress, damage, pests, and diseases. “Tree health care” refers to the use of organic and inorganic chemical application to address a health issue or bolster a tree’s ability to cope with a stressor. Plant health care needs are determined by a certified arborist and treatments are performed by specialized technicians.

Common types of plant health care include:

• Fertilization
• Soil Amendment
• Pesticide Application
• Disease Management
• Chemical Growth Regulation

Additional Resources

The International Society of Arboriculture has a guide on tree trimming and plant health care.

To keep your trees healthy it is recommended to have your tree assessed by an ISA Certified Arborist every year. They are able to spot issues that a homeowner may miss. Below are some common issues to intercept before they become costly problems for your trees.

Structural

Trees may have natural structural issues or may develop them in response to stress or other factors. Aside from breaking and falling limbs, trees can also develop instabilities in the root system.

Physical damage

Everything from nearby landscape maintenance to reckless driving can be a source of physical damage to a tree. Generally, the more damage is done to the bark and the layers just underneath it, the more impact damage will have on a tree’s health.

While trees cannot “heal” in the same way that animals can, there are ways that trees respond to wounds and can minimize the internal damage. A tree’s wound response does not usually need human intervention, and applying wraps or compounds is not usually necessary or advised.

Weather/Environment

North Texas is known for unpredictable, and often severe, weather. Storms, droughts, freezes, and high winds are just a few of the weather events we are used to. Properly preparing trees for the weather, and dealing with the effects of severe events is an important part of caring for trees.

Insects/Pests

Depending on the species, age, and location of a tree, it may be a target for many different insects, arachnids, and other pests. Some that are comon in North Texas are:

• Aphids
• Bagworm
• Pecan phylloxera
• Emerald ash borer – a recent arrival to North Texas, but a serious threat to ash trees
• Cankerworm
• Twig girdler

Diseases/fungi

As with pests, a tree’s susceptibility to disease depends on several factors. Some of the common North Texas tree diesases are:

• Oak wilt
• Chlorosis
• Fungal activity
• Oak leaf blister
• Oak decline
• Leaf spot
• Chinese pistache fungal affliction

Cycle of decline

No matter the particular type, all trees suffer from stress, pest activity, and potential for diseases. The factors contributing to a tree’s ability to recover from stress, damage, or infection range from the weather at a given moment to the genetic makeup of the particular tree.

Trees with certain underlying predispositions may react very differently to stress when compared to trees without those underlying factors.

Trees that have suffered recent damage may be less able to fight off an infection.

When considering the health of a tree, it is important to keep in mind the “cycle of decline,” the recurrent effect of internal and external factors have on a tree’s ability to maintain vigor and health.

Physical damage or poor soil conditions do not only have an immediate effect on a tree’s health, but factor in whenever a new stressor presents itself.

Failure to address these factors can hasten tree decline and death.

Additional Resources

The International Society of Arboriculture has guide of Tree Hazards

Tree owners in North Texas have a wealth of resources to help them give their trees the best care possible.

Arborists and Tree Care Companies

From routine trimming to diagnosis and plant health care, commercial tree companies provide the tree owner with both advice and convenience.

ISA Certified Arborists

• The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is the premier, international credentialing organization for tree care professionals. The ISA offers different levels and specializations of credential, but the most important to a tree owner are the Certified Arborist and Board Certified Master Arborist, which indicate that an individual has the training and experience to care for trees properly.

• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification is an additional certification that  arborists can have that delineates they are qualified in evaluating risk in trees and preparing reports of potential hazards.

• Texas Oak Wilt Qualification is a credential in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of the oak wilt disease, a serious threat to Texas trees.

Consulting Arborists

• In addition to the ISA, there are other organizations that offer training and certification for different tree care specializations. The American Society of Consulting Arborists offers the Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA) credential.

• RCAs are experts in the field of arboriculture and are often called upon for tree valuations, complex care consultations, or to give legal testimony.

Organizations

• Municipal Arborists are city employees responsible for the urban forest, and coordinate with residents to care for publicly-owned trees (such those between the sidewalk and street).

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service helps Texas residents care for plants, trees, crops, and livestock. Each county has an Agrilife Extension office.

•  Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab is part of the ArgiLife Extension services, the TPDDL receives samples from tree owners and tree care professionals for pathogen analysis and identification

• International Society of Arboriculture maintains a website specifically for tree owners to give help and guidance for tree care as well assistance in locating ISA Certified Arborists.