- Author: Anne Schellman
- Editor: Roger A Duncan
Want fall color in your landscape next year?
Read about the trees you've noticed around town that are currently “popping” with color. And, if you plant a tree now (or in early spring), you can have fall color in your landscape next year! Here are some excellent tree species to choose from that thrive in our area (USDA Zone 9b):
Chinese Pistache – Pistachia chinensis
The Chinese pistache is Ed Perry's favorite tree. Ed was the Environmental Horticulture Advisor for over 35 years at UC Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County. He chose this tree not only for its fall color, but because it produces good shade and has “well-behaved” roots. Opt for the male cultivar ‘Keith Davey.' Female cultivars have colorful berries which although pretty, are considered messy and not suitable for over a patio.
Height: 30-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: You can't go wrong with this tree! Also, it is not closely related to the nut bearing pistachio tree.
Maple Trees – Acer rubrum
Light needs: Plant in full sun or partial shade.
Height: 40-50'
Water needs: Regular water. Does well in lawns, but water separately from the lawn.
Note: Sprinkler water will not be enough for this tree.
Bradford Flowering Pear – Prunus calleryana ‘Bradford'
This flowering pear has cheerful white blooms in spring and produce fall color during cool winters. Their roots are well-behaved so they can be planted near sidewalk. Please note, many cultivars of flowering pear have problems such as mistletoe and fireblight. Make sure you choose a Bradford pear. After bloom, this tree does drop small fruits that are messy.
Height: 40-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: although bred to be fruitless, the Bradford pear cross pollinates with other pears which is why it produces inedible “fruit.”
Japanese Maple Trees – Acer palmatum
Light needs: Plant in partial shade, some species (‘Emperor One') are adapted to full sun.
Height: 6-20', varies. Do some research before choosing your tree.
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: This tree can give year-round interest!
Ginkgo – Ginkgo biloba
This ancient tree existed long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. In fact, fossils of gingko leaves have been discovered from the Jurassic period! Ginkgo trees leaves turn a beautiful golden color in fall. Choose a male cultivar such as ‘Saratoga' or ‘Autumn Gold.' Female cultivars produce fruit that some people consider unpleasant.
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 30-50.'
Water needs: Moderate water; can tolerate drought but won't look healthy.
Note: Excellent street or patio tree, also does well in a lawn.
Liquidambar – Liquidambar styraciflua
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 50-60.'
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: Surface roots can crack sidewalks and come up in lawns.
Tree Notes – Choosing a Tree
When choosing a tree, look for one with leaves growing along the entire stem. Avoid trees that resemble a mature tree (with a long stem and a heavy top). The leaves are necessary to help the tree develop a strong trunk.
Tree Notes – Planting
Planting a tree correctly is essential to having a healthy tree. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Remove the tree stake.
Step 2: Dig a hole twice as wide but the same depth as the container.
Step 3: After removing the “root ball” (area of soil and roots) from the container, set it in the hole.
Step 4: Make sure the top of the root ball is lined up with the surrounding soil or a little higher.
Step 5: Fill in around the root ball with removed soil, do not cover over the root ball with soil. Make sure the root ball is still showing and is level with the ground.
Step 6: Create a basin around the base of the tree and water well.
Tree Notes – Staking
If you remove the stake from your new tree and it falls over, return the tree. Healthy trees should not fall over and do not need to be staked. In fact, a tree that can't stand upright that grows into a mature tree is likely to become a landscape hazard** in the future.
Allowing your new tree to sway with the wind helps it develop a strong trunk and root system. The only time it is recommended to stake trees is in areas with heavy wind. In this case, two stakes should be used, and then removed after one year. Learn more about tree staking in the Planting Landscape Trees publication below.
Tree Notes – Water
All newly planted trees need regular water for the first 2-5 years after planting. Regular water means keeping the soil moist but not too wet or allowing it to dry out. Once their roots are established, trees need deep water once or twice per month during the dry season (May-October), depending on temperature, tree species, soil type, and other factors.
Resources
Stanislaus County Tree Guide
Looking for more tree recommendations? Visit our publications page and scroll to the bottom of the page to click on our “Trees in Your Home Garden” publication at https://cestanislaus.ucanr.edu/Gardening_Publications/
Planting Landscape Trees
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8046.pdf
*University research has shown that adding amendments such as compost and fertilizer to planting holes does not help trees; in fact, it can cause problem. Read more at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=46215
**worried you may have a hazardous tree in your landscape? Download this free guide for tips on how to inspect it. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8365.pdf
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h4>- Author: Anne E Schellman
Importance of Tree Selection:
When choosing a tree, you want to select one that has the size and characteristics suitable for your site. A well-chosen tree can save up to 15% in energy costs. And, a tree in front of a home can increase the appraised value* of a home by over $7,000!
However, if you select the wrong-size tree for your landscape, you could end up with problems such as:
· A tree that grows into a power line
· A large tree growing too close to your house
· Aggressive roots that are difficult to garden under or break up pavement
· Fruit or flowers that drop onto pavement
Importance of Planting:
Correctly planting a tree helps it get off to the right start so it can thrive for years to come. Often people bury the root ball (area of soil and roots) of trees too deeply. This makes the tree more susceptible to soil-borne diseases.
Importance of Pruning:
The first few years of a tree's life are the ideal time to prune and train a tree. Your tree should have a good structure that includes a single central leader and branches that are well spaced around the trunk. Untrained trees have a greater chance of developing limbs that break away from the tree, especially during storms or windy days.
To Stake or Not to Stake:
In most situations, it's not necessary to stake a tree. When you purchase a tree, the first thing you need to do is remove the nursery stake.
Resources:
You can pick up a free copy of our publication, Trees in Your Home Landscape from our office, or download it free from our Gardening Publications website.
*according to the Pacific Northwest Research Station http://www.itreetools.org/news/articles/PNW_scifi126_Sept2010.pdf
Did you know that the Contra Costa Master Gardeners have a Help Desk where you can have your gardening-related questions answered? Well, we do! Our Help Desk is staffed every week, Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-Noon. You can:
- Visit us during Help Desk hours at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2nd Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523.
- Call us at (925) 646-6586. If you call outside Help Desk hours, please leave both your phone number and email address so that we may respond to you in a timely manner.
- Email us at ccmg@ucanr.edu. Please use email if you want to submit photos along with your question(s).
As part of our effort to help educate the public, we are going to be sharing some of the interesting problems that other CoCo County gardeners have been having, and share the advice and solutions that our Help Desk volunteers have come up with.
Here is our first installment, on staking young trees for proper support.
The Client's Problem: Lazy Trees!
In September of 2011 the client bought three Pistacia chinesis trees. In September of 2012 the client planted the trees, but found that when the nursery stakes were removed each tree leaned over, almost to the ground. The client added two stakes to support the trees. In April of 2014, the client removed the stakes and found that two of the trees still leaned over about 45 degrees, and the third still fell almost to the ground (see pictures below).
So of course, the client's question is why is this happening? And what can be done to help the trees stand up straight and support themselves?
The Solution:
From the description and photos it looks like the trunks of your Pistache trees have not developed enough strength to stand on their own properly. There are a number of factors that can contribute to this condition. When you purchased the trees they were most likely staked in the pots with a single stake and closely tied to this stake, as a temporary measure. This was done by the nursery for ease in their operations and is not helpful to the tree long term.
Proper Staking
Staking of trees is undesirable in most situations and should only be used when absolutely necessary. When staking the trees it is important to use two stakes placed on either side perpendicular to the prevailing winds and not too close the tree (just outside the root ball zone). You will need to tie the tree to allow some movement of the trunk. Tree trunks develop their strength by bending and swaying in the wind very much as we develop strength through exercising our limbs.
For more information on staking, please refer to the following University of California website: http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/5253/16819.pdf
"Lollipop" Trees
Your trees also look a little top heavy which may contribute to their problem standing up in their weakened condition. Often nurseries sell container trees with large tops ("lollipop trees"). These trees have usually been "headed back" and have many branches arising from the same point. This is a sign of poor branch structure for the tree in the long term. Young trees should have branches along the length of the trunk as this provides food for the tree and shade protection for the young trunk. You can thin the canopy to help reduce the load but never remove more than one-third of the branches when doing so. Take care with pruning as some types of pruning can trigger the tree to grow many more branches, especially dormant pruning.
For more information on selecting and planting landscape trees please refer to the following University of California website: http://ucanr.edu/datastoreFiles/268-234.pdf
Girdled Roots
Another possible contributing factor to your trees not establishing themselves is their root structure. Often, when landscape trees are purchased from the nursery, they may have been growing in a small pot for an extended period of time and the roots have circled the trunk in the pot. This condition results in twisted and girdling roots which hampers the trees ability to take up nutrients and anchor itself in the ground.
Before resorting to digging up these trees, though, the client could make sure that the trees are properly staked, and continue to check on the trees' ability to stand upright every three months or so. However, in the end, the only solution to this client's problem might be starting over with new trees that were better pruned from the start, and were planted more quickly into the ground to prevent root girdling.
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Editor's Note: Each month the CCMG Help Desk's Quality Assurance Team selects responses to county residents' Help Desk questions that produced informative responses that are either unique or unusual, or provided updated information that would be informative to all gardeners, or are of general interest, especially of seasonal concerns. We are highlighting these responses in the HortCOCO blog so all interested Master Gardeners and the public may utilize the information.
The CCMG Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, and we are on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/
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