With summer now well and truly here, it’s crucial we are checking on newly planted trees to make sure they are growing healthily and settling in well.
Tree planting can sometimes be seen as a ‘one-off’ occasion, or the end goal of a project, however we believe it is only the beginning. We have an ambitious goal of planting one million trees across Hampshire by 2050 – but alongside planting these trees, we are committed to making sure they all have the best chance of survival. That means that we all need to keep an eye on our new trees as they are establishing over the first few years.
Winter is a great time for planting trees in the UK. Deciduous species are dormant above ground, and evergreens slow down their growth and can withstand the stress of being uprooted better than during the rest of the year. Tree roots will however continue to grow throughout the winter and will comfortably extend their root growth in temperatures above 10°C. The wetter winter soils provide necessary water for growth, and if your soils are well aerated, the oxygen will help this process further. This root growth gives them a head start so the earlier the trees are planted in the winter, the more resilient they will be to droughts later in the summer.
A rare day of sunshine in early 2024 for this day of tree planting and mulching.
The start of 2024 certainly brought plenty of rain across Hampshire, so new trees and hedgerow plants were well watered in. Now, halfway through the year, the weather has dried up a bit, so it’s a good time to check on your newly planted trees to make sure they are still getting enough water.
Look at the leaves – are they facing upwards and outwards, or wilting downwards? The morning is the best time to check this, as hot afternoons can make leaves seem particularly wilted before they bounce back overnight. Also look at the size of the leaves - are they as big as you would expect? Trees that are suffering from drought stress grow smaller leaves, or can even drop them altogether, to reduce water loss.
Next, feel the soil – poke your finger into the soil a few inches, if it is cool and damp and your finger has soil particles stuck to it, then there is probably enough water in the soil for your trees. Hopefully your trees were mulched with a 3-inch layer of woodchip or similar when they were planted. Remember to keep this mulch away from the trunk to stop the trunk from rot and disease. This mulch layer may dry out, but it will still protect the soil underneath, keeping it away from the harsh, drying sun and better able to hold moisture.
Adding a thick layer of woodchip around trees helps lock in moisture and reduce weeds.
If you think your new trees do need a drink, then the best time is in the cool of the morning or evening when less water will evaporate off the soil surface. Water slowly, avoiding a fast stream of water which will likely run off the surface of dry soil, rather than soak in. And be generous, especially with larger trees which require more water. Aim to give a tree a really good drink twice a week, rather than a few drops every day. This will encourage the tree’s roots to grow down, rather than stay at the surface, which will help to anchor it and enable it to access water in the soil at deeper levels.
Don’t forget the weeds! Grass and other weeds are very thirsty so will rob your tree of water, particularly grass. Try to keep one metre around the tree clear of weeds to ensure that all the water you give it is going to be taken up by the tree, rather than neighbouring weeds. Topping up the mulch layer to keep it around three to four inches deep can also help to reduce weed growth.
Grass has just been cleared from the base of this young tree before a thick layer of mulch was added.
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