Seasonal Tips for Summer - Trees

Trees play a vital part in the garden casting precious shade in the summer and adding height and structure to the design. Don’t neglect them in the summer, especially if they are newly planted. Keep them fed and watered to ensure that they perform to their full potential.

Don’t plant trees during July or August unless you have no other option. Delay purchasing trees until the autumn and plant them then. However, if you do have trees in pots that need planting it is better to plant them properly now than to leave them languishing in their pots in the heat of the day.
Soak the tree in its pot in a tub of water overnight to ensure that the root ball is really wet. Prepare the ground thoroughly. Dig an extra large planting hole and dig over the base of the hole so that the roots can easily grow into the surrounding soil. Improve poor soil with Premium Garden Soil or organic Farmyard Manure.
Mix in some Bone Meal Root Builder into the base of the hole to give your tree a good start. Fill the base of the hole with Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost with added John Innes. Take the tree from the pot and tease out the outer roots so that they do not grow round in circles. Position the tree in the hole and fill in around the root ball with Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost with added John Innes. Firm in around the root ball gently. There should be an indentation in the soil over the planting hole, fill this with water and allow the water to really soak in, repeat until you are happy that the whole area is well saturated. Mulch the wet compost surface with a thick layer of Decorative Mini Bark. This will hold in the moisture and to help to protect the roots from the heat of the sun. Keep the trees well watered for the rest of the summer and during dry spells for the next two years.
Trees that have been recently planted, even up to two years ago, need careful attention if the weather is hot and dry. Be sure to water them really thoroughly twice a week by soaking the soil until the water reaches down to the roots. Make sure you don’t just wet the surface, as this will encourage surface roots instead of deeper roots that can be damaged by hot sun or extreme cold.
Keep the area around the base of your trees free from weeds that will compete for food and moisture.

Gardening tips for this Summer:

If you would like to refer back to the Seasonal Tips for April/May click here.

If you would like to refer back to the Seasonal Tips for February/March click here.