Comments on: Planting Trees http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/15/planting-trees/ Timeless Tools Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:15:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: BobStrawn http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/15/planting-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-305 BobStrawn Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:29:49 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=645#comment-305 Citrus Mostly. A few date palms. Bob Citrus Mostly. A few date palms.

Bob

]]> By: Skip J. http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/15/planting-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-304 Skip J. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:21:43 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=645#comment-304 Followup: Bob; which species of trees are you planting? Skip Followup: Bob; which species of trees are you planting?

Skip

]]> By: Skip J. http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/15/planting-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-303 Skip J. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:33:12 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=645#comment-303 Oh yes.... "After combing out the root, I often find that I should remove several of the roots as redundant or likely to strangle themselves. Most guides to root pruning show a before and after picture with little guidance for the process." Instruction books are my bane.... they trick you into thinking you can learn it from their book, and then after you are committed to purchase of tools and materials - force you to learn it (whatever it is..)the hard way.. I will say my root pruning and combing definitely did improve after starting bonsais - but my previous decades work planting trees jump started my bonsai "practice"! Skip Oh yes….

“After combing out the root, I often find that I should remove several of the roots as redundant or likely to strangle themselves. Most guides to root pruning show a before and after picture with little guidance for the process.”

Instruction books are my bane…. they trick you into thinking you can learn it from their book, and then after you are committed to purchase of tools and materials – force you to learn it (whatever it is..)the hard way..

I will say my root pruning and combing definitely did improve after starting bonsais – but my previous decades work planting trees jump started my bonsai “practice”!

Skip

]]> By: BobStrawn http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/15/planting-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-302 BobStrawn Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:50:18 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=645#comment-302 I suspect that combing roots is where a bonsai expert's skills will come into play. Some trees I take great care to comb out. Others, I am scared to do much more than loosen the bound roots much. The heavier roots are usually quite inflexible, so often I just free the flexible ones from the bundle and try to snake them out, often adding a long channel to the hole to bury the root. I prune the tops, and I try to comb the roots, but them things is brittle and often tied together. To properly comb the roots, I have to wash out all the soil. Some trees seem to comb out very easily. Others are quite impossible. After combing out the root, I often find that I should remove several of the roots as redundant or likely to strangle themselves. Most guides to root pruning show a before and after picture with little guidance for the process. I prefer to plant trees that hardly care if you groom the roots, or are small enough for that to be less of an issue. I suspect that the next big step in my tree planting skills is to get more involved in grooming the root ball. I pity the the poor trees that will suffer for my education. Bob I suspect that combing roots is where a bonsai expert’s skills will come into play. Some trees I take great care to comb out. Others, I am scared to do much more than loosen the bound roots much. The heavier roots are usually quite inflexible, so often I just free the flexible ones from the bundle and try to snake them out, often adding a long channel to the hole to bury the root.

I prune the tops, and I try to comb the roots, but them things is brittle and often tied together. To properly comb the roots, I have to wash out all the soil. Some trees seem to comb out very easily. Others are quite impossible.

After combing out the root, I often find that I should remove several of the roots as redundant or likely to strangle themselves. Most guides to root pruning show a before and after picture with little guidance for the process.

I prefer to plant trees that hardly care if you groom the roots, or are small enough for that to be less of an issue.

I suspect that the next big step in my tree planting skills is to get more involved in grooming the root ball. I pity the the poor trees that will suffer for my education.

Bob

]]> By: Skip J. http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/15/planting-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-301 Skip J. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:13:58 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=645#comment-301 Excellent advice for our Gulf Coast clay soils - or clay soils anywhere. The only thing I do differently is to dig a round hole into the clay twice as big as I need - and then take the shovel and tear divots out of the side of the hole where it becomes many sided when thru. Same thing done a different way, but for the same reason..... Then I fill the remainder of the hole with a mix of various soil amendments, comb out the roots and plant the ball into the amendments. It gives the roots time to spread out into the soil mix before hitting the clay wall. Of course, planting species that will live wet help too. I have some photos somewhere of our last tree planting job that show this being done into exactly the waterholding clay hole that you describe. Let me see.... Skip Excellent advice for our Gulf Coast clay soils – or clay soils anywhere. The only thing I do differently is to dig a round hole into the clay twice as big as I need – and then take the shovel and tear divots out of the side of the hole where it becomes many sided when thru. Same thing done a different way, but for the same reason…..

Then I fill the remainder of the hole with a mix of various soil amendments, comb out the roots and plant the ball into the amendments. It gives the roots time to spread out into the soil mix before hitting the clay wall. Of course, planting species that will live wet help too.

I have some photos somewhere of our last tree planting job that show this being done into exactly the waterholding clay hole that you describe. Let me see….

Skip

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