Formal planting of semi-mature trees

[billythegoat]

you may wish to favour the old fashioned menthod of underground staking which i have always found reliable and not so costly( a little fiddly perhaps) if you use vine ties the wiring is simple!

We are on brushy ground in the west country and most of my jobs are either clay or stone.Platibus for many trees can pump up the price tremendously although you get to keep the anchoring post for £150 approx.

Good luck in this wet time we are having.

[Lee Winger]

The pits are a little larger than usual, to incorporate a 40-40-20% mix of topsoil, soil improver and manure.

 

I was always told never to add anything to your planting pit, as the tree may become pot bound or in other words the roots will girdle. I was told the tree won't send out its roots as its way too easy in the pit with all that manure ,compost etc. I certainly would not add manure.

 

What do you say on the subject Andy and others?

[Peter]

I'd agree with you Lee, certainly no more than 10% organic matter in the backfill material.

Also, in damp conditions the backfill medium can act like a sponge and soak up water from the surrounding soil and become waterlogged causing root death.

[kevwrenn]

I would reccomend minimal manure / compost but possibly use a slow release fertilizer pellet. Trees seem to root well until roots reach the extent of the pit / manure, then hit a flat spot as the roots enter the less fertile surrounding soil. This can in my experience cause problems, we always use square pits as roots can be funnelled round inside a circular one causing a weak undersized root plate. The platypus system is great if the soil conditions are right. soft ground may not provide enough resistance as the straps are tightened. also be aware of underground services. I was recently asked to use them near a 6 foot sewer main.... I refused. Underground stakes work well in slightly softer soil as the can be angled to fight against the rootball. As long as the rootball is not completely enclosed there should be few problems with them becoming "pot-bound". Just use a good stiff root barrier fabric in 3 - 4" wide strips under the wires. I have done this with both stainless braided wire with ratchets (as on the platypus system) and also using high tensile fencing wire which also seems to work ok. Hope this is of some use.

Kev.

[kevwrenn]

just an addition,

the [platypus system is easy to install, best if the trees are in place before installation as you can allign with the edge of the rootball easier. if the ground is too hard, a jack hammer can be used on the end of the bar to make life easier, otherwise a post knocker or sledgehammer. insert anchors until cable loops are level with the bottom of the pit. when the ratchet cable is passed through and tightened it willpull the anchors up slightly, turning them in the ground and providing greater resistance.

[Andy Collins]

:icon14:Thanks for all your advice there Kev. In this instance the client has opted for the standard staking. I do dig square pits as you mention, for those very reasons you list. Cheers again.

[sherco]

I only use the platipus anchors, wouldnt use anything else for trees this size.

[Andy Collins]

I'd agree with you Lee, certainly no more than 10% organic matter in the backfill material.

Also, in damp conditions the backfill medium can act like a sponge and soak up water from the surrounding soil and become waterlogged causing root death.

 

Ok, in the end I put my tuppennyworth of ideas into the great pot of ideas. The highly paid(!) Landscape Architect (ex-Kew) recommended a planting mix of 40-40-20% (40% top-soil,40% soil imrover,20% well rotted manure) to the client, based on several factors.

The soil in most tests across the site was pHneutral. The topsoil was only approx 6-8" deep, at best. The sub-soil was sand ballast, then a seam of flint. The trees would gain no nutrition from below the thin topsoil. The actual medium ratio I settled for was in the end 80-10-10,(80% being top-soil) adding mycchorizal fungi on planting. As the client had trees planted in the past, and they had only added slow release fert to the backfill, several of these trees had failed, so it was agreed between the client, the LA, and myself that they would need better growing medium to get them going.

On the issue of adding mycchorizal fungi, there is one opinion that as it already is naturally present in the soil, that it serves no purpose to add more to the soil, I only opted to put it in the pits this time as the soil quality is so poor.

[sherco]

I would only use the platipus tree anchors on trees this size, much better than stakes.

[Andy Collins]

The client was given all the details of the platipus system to consider at his leisure, which he did. I think in the end the cost may have put him off, as well as the fact that the trees planted in the past (by another company) were installed using platipus, and the client wasn't too impressed. At the end of the day, it was not my call, he had the final say as its his money.