Plant and Care for Trees

Trees provide us with so many benefits, which makes planting trees always worth the time and effort. Trees are a cost-effective means of cleaning our air and water, reducing our need for energy, and making us feel better. 

Interested in Planting a Tree? 

There are a few things to consider before the tree goes in the ground. By making a handful of careful choices your tree will be healthier and you’ll enjoy it more. You need to think about three things first: where to put it, what species is best and how to select the right tree from the nursery.

Need Help with Planting Your Tree?   Download the RainScapes Guide. (PDF, 1.2MB)

1. Where to Plant Your New Tree

The right tree in the right place will give a lot back for many decades.  In the right place, trees save energy by protecting buildings from winter winds or hot sun. Select a place to plant and visualize how much room there is for a tree to grow. Here are some things to consider:

• Where do you want to shade? On your driveway, your air conditioning unit, a hot window, or a south- or west-facing wall? Shade from a tree will save on your energy bills and cut down on maintenance costs of asphalt, concrete, building materials, and air conditioning units.
• Do you want to block winds or create some privacy? A row of trees, especially evergreens, will block the wind and save on your energy bills.
• Do you have a wet spot in your yard? A big leafy tree could use all that water!
• How much room do you have for a tree?
• Look up – is there enough room for the branches to spread out?
• Look down – is there enough room for the roots? The tree should be planted at least 10 to 15 feet from the foundation of the house and 5 feet from a driveway, patio, or sidewalk. Roots need more room to spread than the branches.
• Are there any electric lines or other utilities? Don’t plant large or medium sized trees within 20 feet of electric wires. Only plant small species of trees that will never grow tall enough to interfere with the electric lines. And look down; don’t plant trees within 10 feet of water or sewer lines.

2. What Kind of Tree Do You Want?

Now that you’ve identified a place to plant a tree, you need to select the best tree for that place. Selecting the right tree in the right place  will help ensure your new tree will grow and thrive for a long time. Here are some things to consider when choosing a tree species: 

• Do you want a deciduous tree or an evergreen?
  
  • Deciduous trees lose their leaves each winter. There are great for summer shade on the south and west side of your home.
  • Evergreen trees keep their leaves, usually needles, all year. They are great for privacy, and very hot areas. For wind breaks, plant them on the north and northwest side of your home.
• What size tree will fit in the spot you’ve picked? For the most benefits, plant the biggest tree that will fit in your spot.Remember to visualize the tree when it’s fully grown.
  
  • Large trees, like most oaks, provide the most shade for two-story homes, driveways, and other buildings. While most large trees do not have flowers that are showy, they live much longer.
  • Medium trees, like most maples, shade roofs of single-story houses and walls and windows of two story houses. Consider the fall color and bark; and some have showy flowers.
  • Small trees, like dogwoods, shade walls and windows on the first floor. They can be planted under electric lines. Many small trees have very showy flowers and great fall color.
• Is the soil dry or wet? Some species grow better in drier soils, others grow better in wetter soils. If you think the soils are compacted, choose a tree species adapted to wetter soils.
• What species do you like? Native trees, or trees that are naturally found here in Montgomery County, are preferable to non-native trees because they are naturally resistant to pests and diseases. Also, they are better adapted for our weather and soils.Species approved for Montgomery County Streets are generally free of pests and require less maintenance. Learn more about buying native plants from the Maryland Native Plant Society.
• Take the scientific name of the tree you want to the nursery. The scientific name will always be the same while common names may vary. For example, a black tupelo is often called a tupelo or black gum, and sometimes called a sour gum or pepperidge, but it is always a Nyssa sylvatica. It’s worth checking the tag to make sure you are buying the tree you want.

Did you know that you can search any tree for information and images? Just enter the name of a tree into your favorite search engine.

Select the Best Trees to Buy from a Nursery

Here are some things to look for at the nursery when selecting a tree to buy:

• Are the pots or root balls protected from the sun and wind?
• Have the trees been watered recently? Do they look wilted?
• If you choose a containerized tree (a tree grown in a pot rather than one with the roots wrapped in burlap), ask a nursery assistant to slide the root ball out of the container and take a good look at it. You should see a ball of roots that fill the entire pot. And you should see some new growth – look for clean white tips on the ends of the roots. The roots should not be growing in circles around the inside of the pot.
• If you choose a tree wrapped in burlap with a wire basket, the soil should be held tightly in place by the burlap. The burlap should not be old or full of holes.
• Avoid trees with undersized or discolored leaves that do not look “normal”.
• Nearly all young trees have some wounds, but avoid trees with multiple wounds or damage to the bark that extends more than one quarter of the way around the stem.
• Avoid trees that have been pruned heavily.
• Make sure the tree is labeled with the scientific name. If the scientific name doesn’t match the one you’ve selected, it’s a different type of tree! 

Now that you have selected a high quality tree, the right species, and a great place to plant it, here’s how to put it in the ground and give it a good start. 

When to Plant Your New Tree

Is now the best time to plant? Trees planted in the fall and winter start growing roots and taking in nutrients from the soil right away. Trees planted in early spring also have a head start. They have more time to grow new roots and recover from being transplanted before putting out leaves and flowers in the spring. They are better able to survive the heat of August. Therefore it is best to plant trees in the fall and early spring. In Montgomery County, you should not plant trees between mid May and mid September. It is too hot and the leaves need more water than the disturbed roots can provide. 

How to Plant Your New Tree

Want to plant your own tree but don't know how? It’s well worth a few minutes to learn how to plant correctly. It’s not hard yet it makes a big difference in how long your tree survives. There are a lot of websites with great instructions on how to plant trees. Here are several that stand out.

• Printable instructions: The following websites have printer friendly directions:
  
  • Maryland Forest Service has written directions including a diagram of the Right Tree in the Right Place.
  • Clemson Extension has a one page, printer friendly, factsheet.