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    Garden Trees
    Garden Trees
    Garden Trees
    Ebook405 pages1 hour

    Garden Trees

    By HarperCollins UK

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The only guide you need for choosing, planting and caring for beautiful trees in your garden. Filled with helpful photography and easy-to-follow tips, this essential book will make a successful gardener out of any complete beginner.

    Trees display wonderful foliage that can liven up any garden, but which will best suit yours? And how will you plant them once you get them home? Gem Trees answers these questions and more, providing comprehensive information on caring for trees.

    A substantial introduction covers:
    • the basics of plant care
    • buying trees
    • planting
    • pruning

    The comprehensive directory covers further details for over 100 of the most popular trees, including different species of conifer:
    • where to site
    • height and spread
    • seasonal guide
    • tips for care and maintenance

    The fresh, clear design is easy to follow, and full-colour photography throughout enables quick identification of plants.

    This easy-to-use guide will give you the confidence you need to raise a healthy and attractive tree garden.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateMay 24, 2012
    ISBN9780007483693
    Garden Trees

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      Book preview

      Garden Trees - HarperCollins UK

      Garden Trees

      Keith Rushforth

      Contents

      Cover

      Title Page

      How to use this book

      Introduction

      Caring for garden trees

      Growing Conditions

      Soil Preparation

      Choosing and Buying Trees

      Container-Grown Plants

      Bare-Rooted Plants

      Rootballed Plants

      Planting Techniques

      Transplanting

      Mulching

      Feeding and Watering

      Pruning

      Evergreen Trees

      Dead-Heading

      Pests and Diseases

      A-Z directory of plants

      Abies

      Acacia

      Acer

      Aesculus

      Ailanthus

      Alnus

      Amelanchier

      Aralia

      Araucaria

      Arbutus

      Betula

      Buddleja

      Buxus

      Calocedrus

      Carpinus

      Castanea

      Catalpa

      Cedrus

      Cercidiphyllum

      Cercis

      Chamaecyparis

      Cladrastis

      Cornus

      Corylus

      Cotinus

      Cotoneaster

      Crataegus

      Cryptomeria

      Cunninghamia

      Cupressus

      Cydonia

      Davidia

      Drimys

      Elaeagnus

      Embothrium

      Eucalyptus

      Eucryphia

      Euonymus

      Fagus

      Ficus

      Fraxinus

      Fremontodendron

      Garrya

      Ginkgo

      Gleditsia

      Halesia

      Hamamelis

      Hibiscus

      Idesia

      Ilex

      Juglans

      Juniperus

      Laburnum

      Larix

      Laurus

      Ligustrum

      Liquidambar

      Liriodendron

      Luma

      Magnolia

      Mahonia

      Malus

      Mespilus

      Metasequoia

      Morus

      Nothofagus

      Nyssa

      Olea

      Ostrya

      Oxydendrum

      Parrotia

      Paulownia

      Phellodendron

      Phillyrea

      Photinia

      Picea

      Pinus

      Pittosporum

      Platanus

      Podocarpus

      Poncirus

      Populus

      Prunus

      Pseudolarix

      Pseudotsuga

      Ptelea

      Pyracantha

      Pyrus

      Quercus

      Rhododendron

      Robinia

      Salix

      Sambucus

      Sassafras

      Saxegothea

      Sequoia

      Sequoiadendron

      Sophora

      Sorbus

      Stewartia

      Styrax

      Syringa

      Tamarix

      Taxodium

      Taxus

      Thuja

      Thujopsis

      Tilia

      Toona

      Trochodendron

      Tsuga

      Ulmus

      Umbellularia

      Wisteria

      Zelkova

      Searchable Terms

      Copyright

      About the Publisher

      HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

      This book is divided into two parts. The first chapter guides you through the basic care of trees. The majority of the book is given over to the plant directory, which provides individual entries on the best tree species to grow, listed alphabetically by Latin name. The example entry below is annotated to show you what information each section provides.

      INTRODUCTION

      The main reason for having trees in the garden is for their display of foliage. This can take on a bewildering array of shapes and sizes and may also provide great seasonal colour. Flowers, fruit and bark on many trees add inspirational colour and interest to a garden throughout the year too. A few trees are also grown for the exquisite scent they produce. Given their size and permanence, trees will often provide form and structure in a garden, which means that the shape or habit of each one is very important as well.

      As you can see, trees provide a wealth of interest in gardens and this book offers you all the information you need on a large selection of the top specimens. Armed with its thoroughly practical advice, you will be able to enjoy your chosen garden trees throughout the year.

      CARING FOR GARDEN TREES

      This chapter gives you all the information and advice you need to choose and care for garden trees.

      GROWING CONDITIONS

      Before you buy any plants, it is important to assess the type of garden you have.

      Aspect and exposure

      Does your garden face north, south, east or west? This affects which parts will get the most, or least, sun. The degree of exposure that your garden experiences is another determining factor in what plants will grow.

      Soil

      Each type of soil can vary greatly in drainage capacity, fertility and chemical composition. Soils can be alkaline, acidic or neutral (pH testing kits are available from garden centres) but each type can be improved by the addition of organic matter.

      Syringa vulgaris likes alkaline soils.

      SOIL PREPARATION

      Before buying and planting any trees, make sure the soil is in as good a condition as possible.

      Compacted soil

      Trees cannot grow in compacted soil. If you discover you have compacted soil you will need to remove about two fork depths of soil, break up the subsoil underneath with a pickaxe then replace the topsoil.

      Waterlogging

      Waterlogged soil can kill a plant by drowning the roots. It is often caused by compaction or poorly draining soils – such as clay. With such soils, digging in organic matter and applying a layer of organic mulch will help to improve drainage.

      Weeds

      Control weeds before planting to ensure new plants are not competing for nutrients. Larger weeds can be removed by hand or by forking over the soil. Perennial weeds need treatment with a chemical weedkiller.

      TIP: If you dislike using chemicals, you could try laying sheet mulches for several weeks or months before planting to kill off the weeds or use an organic mulch.

      CHOOSING AND BUYING TREES

      Trees come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Creating the effect you want in the garden requires careful consideration.

      Selecting your plants

      Few trees are in flower or fruit for more than a couple of weeks a year so the form of each tree, and the eventual height and spread it will achieve when mature, are equally important.

      Once you have decided on the basic forms you prefer, the next stage is to draw up some design ideas for how to incorporate trees into the overall scheme. Apart from their decorative features, trees can be planted as hedging or screening, to mark out areas of the garden and to give shade and shelter.

      Buying trees

      Trees can be bought from a variety of sources – garden centres, general and local nurseries, and specialist nurseries – and are available as container-grown, bare-rooted or rootballed.

      CONTAINER-GROWN PLANTS

      Plants grown in containers have their root system intact, which means they should thrive when planted out. The main drawback is that container-grown trees can become ‘potbound’ if left for too long. With potbound plants you will find the roots have filled the container and started to find a way out; such plants are unlikely to establish a new root system when they are planted out.

      BARE-ROOTED PLANTS

      Bare-rooted trees weigh much less than container plants so are easier to transport. The main drawback is that much of the root system is left in the nursery soil, which means they can be slow to establish in a new position.

      ROOTBALLED PLANTS

      Rootballed trees are nursery-grown plants that have been lifted with the soil still attached to the roots. To stop the soil falling off, which would cause the roots to dry out, the ball of soil is wrapped in hessian or a coarse cloth. For some items, buying a rootballed tree is a good compromise between the relative cheapness of bare-rooted stock and the expense of container-grown plants.

      PLANTING TECHNIQUES

      No tree likes to be planted deeper than it has been growing. Always plant at the soil mark on the stem made by the nursery soil or at the level of the container. If in doubt, plant on the shallow side.

      Container-grown plants

      Before planting container-grown plants, trim back any damaged top portions to good shoots and check to see if the compost has dried out. If it has, leave it to soak in a bucket of water for an hour or two. Do not leave it soaking too long or you will kill all the fine roots. Container-grown stock can be planted at any time of the year, but if planted during the summer months will require regular watering.

      To plant a container-grown tree Dig a hole of the correct depth but ensure it is at least 5cm (2in) wider than the container. Remove the tree from its pot. If the roots have formed a circular mass in the bottom of the pot, tease them out so they spread as widely as possible. If there are woody circling roots that cannot be teased out, cut them with secateurs at three points equally spaced around the circle to allow new roots to form. This will prevent the roots growing in a circling manner (trees with such roots usually end up blowing over). Replace the soil in layers no more than 10–15cm (4–6in) thick. Firm each layer with the ball or toes of your feet but avoid firming with the heel (as this will almost certainly cause compaction of the soil).

      Planting a hedge

      Spacing of hedging plants will depend upon how long you can wait for the hedge to thicken and what its purpose is – a hedge intended to keep animals in (or out) will need stems closer together than a purely visual hedge. Generally, spacings of between 0.5m (1½ ft) and 1m (3ft) are suitable. For a thicker hedge, double plant with two alternating rows.

      Bare-rooted plants

      Bare-rooted trees should only be planted when dormant, between late autumn and early spring. If in leaf, the plant will not be able to absorb enough water to compensate for the loss of roots. If the roots are dry, soak them in a bucket

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