Planting a tree

[evansmummy]

I'd like to, but know nothing about it and looking online isn't helping me much. Potted or bare rooted? And when can I plant each? Would like to do it asap, like next week, but will either a potted or bare rooted survive if I plant now?

Potted can be planted all year round, bear root usually when they are dormant = height of winter. What kind of tree are you after? Fruit tree? Ornamental?

meant bare root obviously - long day planting bulbs

lol @ bear root.
If you can get it, you can buy a sachet of 'beneficial root fungus (sorry can't remeber the brand name) but it speeds up the proliferation of natural fungus that inhabits the soil around trees and helps them to establish. I bought it a few years ago on line when I was planting dozens of trees - tehy have all flourished , but have also seen recently at our local Wyvevale Garden centre - worth asking.

Wanted a japanese maple but was told by someone at the nurseries today that it wouldn't grow very big, so I'm not sure now. What does rootballed mean?

Rootballed is a potted plant, they are more expensive because they weight more to ship but can be planted anytime. Late autumn/winter is fab as you can buy bare roots, ie no soil on roots. These trees have to be planted very quickly as the roots must not dry out.

What kind of tree and where do you want to plant. An acer (maple) is a smallish tree but there are some really big ones, too.

If planting close to building, walls, please bear in mind what size tree will be when mature! And the roots can cause structural damage, too.

It would be planted against a fence, south east facing, well-drained soil, betweena mimosa and a plum tree. I guess I don't want a huge tree, but not a tiny one either.

So I could buy a bare rooted one now? Will the cld of the winter not do it some harm? Sorry, I really am clueless!

I've seen this and this and this and this. How would I now which is best though, apart from which one I think is prettiest??

Some nice and unusual trees there. Choice depends on the space available (some of the trees on your list are bigger than others), whether you need to plant now or later (at least one is sensitive to frost so cannot be planted until Spring), some have special soil requirements (#3). Personally, I would not go for a suckering tree (#1). How much space have you between the other trees. You need to check not just the eventual height of the new tree but also the width. Also such a large tree is not really in an ideal position next to a fence as the trunk will be putting on a fair bit of girth. Is the mimosa doing well? How far away from a permanent structure are you/underground pipes/drains? Bare rooted trees/shrubs/roses are usually shipped between Nov and Feb but the trees you are looking at are not native so may have different requirements.

I'd like to plant now, but could wait I suppose. If I buy bare rooted , could I plant it anytime over the winter, as long as it's not snesitive to frost (according to the descriptions)?

There's about 5 metres between the two existing trees and I could plant the new one about 2 metres max from the fence. Do you think that would be sufficient? It's quite a way from any pipes, drains and the house itself, so that shouldn't be a problem.

The mimosa is thriving! Has really taken off this year.

Hmm, not sure you really have enough space between the two existing trees for another tree. Are the other two still quite young? Maybe a shrub would be a better idea. You also have to consider how much shade is cast by the existing trees. Not sure why you want a tree, if you are trying to fill a gap I would consider a shrub.

Re bare rooted, you need to plant asap after you receive it to avoid roots drying out.

I'm planting a tree in memory of my brother who died earlier this year. So I do really want a tree and not a shrub. Something I can sit under, or next to, and watch growing.

The mimosa is about 3 years, and the plum has been there for 20 odd!

This is turning out to be much harder than I thought!

Evansmummy, sorry to hear about the circumstances.

Even more important to get it right. You can check on the RHS website or have a look in their plantfinder which is also quite good on trees. Lists all the requirements and gives you size and spread, water and temperature requirements because you have to plan what your trees will look like in the future.

You can also check with a local garden designer. Much easier to suggest something suitable if you see the plot.

I would love to help you out but probably live too far away.

Thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it. Will check out that website tomorrow. Probably when I'm at work, wishing the time away