TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM

OVER THE GARDEN FENCE

September 3, 2005

Autumn sends out a strong signal to many green-thumbers to plant trees. I can't remember an autumn when I haven't planted a tree at our home, a friend's house, or on the church grounds. Each time we plant a tree, we plant not only for our own benefit, but a legacy for those who follow us to enjoy. Besides increasing future property values, trees help supply the oxygen we breathe, help keep our air supply fresh, provide food and shelter for birds and wild animals, slow down forceful winds, cut noise pollution, provide cooling shade, camouflage harsh scenery, hold soil and keep silt from washing into streams and lakes, and beautify our surroundings with pleasing shapes and seasonal splashes of color.

Trees accent our homes and gardens and break the monotony of endless miles of asphalt and cement. Do we miss the value of trees? We need to look no further than South Westnedge Avenue. In the name of progress, the beautiful shade trees were removed and now Portage sports a concrete desert.

I plan my tree plantings carefully, selecting varieties that are site-specific and have a long useful life. The following are some of my favorite trees for Southwest Michigan.

* Red Sunset is one of the best Scarlet Maples. Red Sunset Maple is super hardy with its heritage in Michigan. Red Sunset is a fast grower. The one in my landscape has grown to over fifty feet tall in about twenty-four years. Red Sunset Maple puts on a spectacular show of red and orange foliage each October and adapts well in moist soils, withstanding frequent turf irrigation when many other trees fail.

* Sugar Maple rightly claims the title as the "queen of all Michigan trees" and is probably the best known maple tree. Sugar Maples grow best in deep, rich, well drained soil. Sugar Maples grow tall and broad so they are best used as a background in well- designed landscapes. The rich orange fall leaves makes the Sugar Maple a Michigan favorite.

* The Ginkgo tree is truly an "old timer". The Ginkgo represents an ancient plant group unlike any other living conifer. Most of us would not identify a Ginkgo tree as a conifer. We usually think of conifers as evergreens. Ginkgo trees defy this logic as they drop their golden leaves in the autumn like a deciduous tree. Ginkgo trees are slow growing and are very resistant to both insects and diseases. Ginkgos are very tolerant of city conditions and make an excellent tall background tree.

* One of my favorite families of trees is the beech. I like these tough, enduring giants. Plant a beech in a good environment and it will be an asset for at least a hundred years. Beech trees have gray bark and large, sturdy branches that stretch way out to provide great shade and protection. The beech family offers us several leaf colors to choose from including copper, green, purple, and tri-color. Beech trees need space to develop to their fullest and grow best in deep, rich, well-drained loamy soil.

* For many years, white bark clump birch were widely planted and enjoyed in our area, but were often afflicted with birch borers. We can now enjoy the beautiful shape and white bark of the birch tree because of the new and improved White Spire variety. White Spire Clump Birch is superior to European of Paper Birch. White Spire Birch has pure white bark and is resistant to Bronze Birch Borers.

* "Sturdy as an oak." "Slow as an oak." These are two slogans often used depicting the perceived characteristics of oak trees. When describing a Pin Oak, sturdy is ok, but not slow! Pin Oaks, given proper care, are amazing with their fast growth. We have a specimen in our landscape that grows at a two-foot-per-year clip. It is now fifty to sixty feet tall at the young age of twenty-three years. When the leaves turn red and orange in October, Pin Oaks are spectacular.

* Blossom for blossom, when it comes to comparing flowering trees, it's hard to beat Sergeant Crab. Hardy as an oak, Sergeant Crab will take all a Michigan winter can throw at it and still come through like a champ, blooming every spring. Sergeant Crab grows to 10 feet tall, is a very dense grower, is covered with beautiful white flowers every May, and has small, bright red fruits that hold on until the cedar waxwings, robins, and cardinals eat them in the winter. Sergeant Crab trees are also size controllable. They may be pruned to any shape or size desired.

These are some of my favorite deciduous trees that, given a good growing environment and minimal care, will perform well for many, many years.

When the need or urge to plant a tree arises, be sure to visit Wedel's Nursery where over one hundred tree varieties await you. Wedel's eleven Michigan Certified Nursery Specialists will help you select the right shade tree for your site.

After tree selection has been made, plant it right. For over forty years, the following method has worked well for me. First, dig a planting hole twice as wide as the container the tree is purchased in and about fifty percent deeper than the depth of the container. Discard subsoil taken from the hole. Dig until the soil that will drain is reached. Mix thoroughly equal parts of composted cow manure, sphagnum peat moss, and the top soil from the hole. Measure depth of the pot and back fill hole with your soil mix. Set tree in the hole, being sure tree is no deeper than the depth it was growing in the nursery. If soil drains poorly, build up the planting site three to four inches above the surrounding area. Next, remove container. If there are roots visible, gently pull some of them away so they will grow outward away from the root ball. Backfill the hole, lightly firm soil, finish filling the hole. Soak the soil with Root Stimulator as backfilling is completed. Allow a hose to trickle water on planting for twenty-four hours. When watering is complete, mulch new tree planting with two inches of cedar bark in an area the width of the branch system. Be careful not to touch the bark mulch to the trunk of the tree. Tree wrap should be used for the first two winters. Use three guy wires to reinforce tree and promote root establishment. Planting trees using these suggestions will guarantee success for you and for future generations.

Oh, by the way, when planting your trees, be sure to bring a camera. Gather the family and take several snapshots for future enjoyment. Then dedicate each tree and name them after someone special. The Blaze Maple that shades our deck was named after our grandson, Nathan. When Nathan was young, so was the tree, but always large enough so he could climb it. Ah! Fond memories!

If time didn't allow for applying Grubex 12-month lawn grub control, you can be sure that Japanese beetle grubs are now feasting on the roots of your lawn grass. What to do now? I now recommend an application of Dylox granules. After applying, be sure to water in well. Dylox kills grubs in five days.

Does your lawn look a bit stressed? This summer was very tough on lawns. Now is a good time to apply Scotts Lawn Pro Fall Fertilizer to restore a good green color and improve turf density.