Backyards Of Broadwater Tree Planting Surprises
 | Author:
Patrick Plantenberg, Tree Board Chair
Townsend Tree Board Chair, Townsend Rotary Club |
Backyards of Broadwater Tree Planting Surprises
Patrick Plantenberg
Tree Board Chair
The 2024 Backyards of Broadwater County event on July 27th included an educational tree planting workshop for attendees at Steve and Donna Haynes’ home at 147 Duck Creek Road. Patrick Plantenberg, Chair of the Townsend Tree Board and his wife Mary conducted the workshop.
Four containerized trees from a reputable nursery were planted. The most common tree planting mistakes observed by arborists are homeowners and even professional landscapers, planting trees too deep and not breaking the circling roots in the container before planting. If the tree is planted too deep it will not thrive. The first major root should be at the soil surface. If the circling roots are not broken up at planting time, the tree will eventually die 8-12 years later essentially from strangulation.
So, what were the results of the workshop? All the trees had circling roots which were broken up by Patrick using a large screwdriver. This is extremely common, especially late in the planting season when the trees have been in the pots for several months.
Three of the four trees were planted in the pot at the nursery 2.5 to 4 inches too deep! The attendees were surprised to see Patrick rip the top several inches of the roots apart looking for that first major root. When finally planted, the three trees that were potted too deep ended up being planted only 3.5-6 inches deep surprising everyone. It is no wonder trees are often planted too deep!
