Here in Southeast Texas we have witnessed the 2011 drought kill way too many of our native Texas trees. Many of our customers are looking to replace the trees that died, and need pointers on which are the best Texas tree kinds for hardiness, relatively fast growth, and most of all, to have a future as a welcome addition to their landscape.
How to decide on the best Texas tree for your yard.
Trees are for a lifetime, so think about the long-term purpose of your new tree as you get ready to plant. A planting service can give advice to you with this process. There are lots of native Texas trees ideal for use as shade trees, others more for landscape decoration, and so on. Planting a tree effectively needs awareness of the tree to be planted and the particular soil, water and sunlight needs of the tree. Know the basic rules:
- Put together a list of which native Texas trees are your favorite variations, and then put together a list of the the purpose(s) you have in mind for the tree. Is it for shade? Privacy? Aesthetics? To be used as a windbreak? More than one objective?
- Put down the constraints of the site. Is the site for the tree by a home? Is there underground wiring? Overhead wiring? A planting service can also counsel on the soil makeup and which native Texas trees will work well given the soil quality.
- With all that information collected, select the absolute best Texas tree species for your conditions and objectives.
- Examine the tree you pick for quality. Southeast Texas Trees LLC provides quality native Texas trees by working in conjunction with local dependable nurseries and Texas tree farms that maintain the very highest standards.
Planting by yourself or hiring a tree planting service.
Going with a tree planting service takes all kinds of guesswork out of ensuring the tree is planted correctly and that it will experience little shock in the process. However , it’s a wonderful thing to plant a tree by yourself. Here are the steps:
- Dig the hole. Make it deep enough the root flare of the tree you are planting is at level with the grade of the ground. The hole should be 2 to 2.5 times the width of the the tree’s root ball. The hole should have sides that slope to the center, in concave shape. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole.
- Place the tree in the hole. Cut any netting, or take the tree out of the pot, and loosen the ball to spread the roots outward, so from the time of the tree’s planting they are pointing in the right direction for expansion.
- Backfill with the native soil. You can add some fertilized soil in the mix, but keep in mind that the tree desires to adapt to the natural soil environment.
- Add water so that trapped air will bubble up. Give your newly planted Texas tree its first good watering in its new home.
- For the first 4 months water the tree 3 times per week for 10 minutes a watering. Do not count on your sprinkler system to do the job – it will not soak the ground satisfactorily. Remember that although Southeast Texas is known for an abundance of rain, any rainfall you have for this period shouldn’t take you off your watering schedule. Native Texas trees here in the Southeast region need lots of water, so be conscientious in this responsibility.
Following these steps will get your Texas tree strongly established and well on its way to being a gorgeous new addition to your property.
Katherine Parker writes educational articles for Southeast Texas Trees LLC. THis article is about the best way to select the best Texas tree for planting on your property, and how a tree planting service can offer useful guidance to make sure the tree prospers once planted.