End-Of-Season Project Fall Is The Perfect Time Of Year To Choose And Plant A Tree To Enjoy For Years To Come

Did you know that this is the perfect time of year to plant a tree? With summer’s hottest days (which are hard on trees) behind us, and several weeks ahead before the ground freezes over for the winter (in most areas), autumn is ideal for planting most kinds of trees. Make it one of your last projects in the garden this season, and you’ll enjoy the results for many years to come.

Choosing a tree

There’s an enormous variety to choose from, and your decision is an important one. You can plant a tree for flowers, fall color, shade, privacy, beautiful bark, delectable fruit or a sculptural shape in the winter.

A good nursery with knowledgeable staffers can be indispensable. Many people choose to buy trees from mail-order nurseries, which often carry larger selections than local ones.

Here are three mail-order sources that offer catalogs:

Appalachian Gardens (Box 82, Waynesboro, PA 17268; (717) 762-4312)

Arborvillage Farm Nursery (15604 Country Road CC, P.O. Box 227, Holt, MO 64048; (816) 264-3911)

Forestfarm (990 Tetherow Road, Williams, OR 97544; (541) 846-7269).

When ordering by mail, don’t forget to ask if the tree you want can thrive in your region. (There are a few trees that do better if planted in the spring in certain parts of the country, so confirm that the one you choose can be planted now.)

Also find out how big it will be when mature. As it grows, the branches shouldn’t come into contact with overhead wires or the house. Underground, the roots need room to grow without running into plumbing, pavement or the foundation of your house.

And don’t forget maintenance. Many evergreens are nearly carefree, while deciduous trees shed leaves that require raking in the fall.

Buying the tree

At most nurseries, trees are sold three different ways.

Bare-root trees come with wet sawdust packed around the roots to keep them moist. They are generally the least expensive. Because they are easy to ship, you may find the greatest variety in bare-root trees. However, such trees do experience some shock when transplanted.

“Balled and burlapped” trees - usually called B&B trees - make an easier transition. The roots are kept in a foot or more of the soil in which they have grown, which is wrapped in burlap. Look for a ball that is firm and well-tied.

Potted, or containerized, trees - which, of course, are grown and sold in pots - suffer the least shock to their roots. Often, they are more expensive than the other types.

Any tree should look healthy when you buy it. Avoid a tree with broken branches, damaged bark or a dry root ball.

Planting the tree

The same basic steps apply for a bare-root, B&B or potted tree.

1. Use a piece of string to measure the depth of the root ball, the container or the roots of a bare-root tree. This will provide the measurement for the depth of the hole. Next measure half of its circumference. When you stretch the string out taut, this will provide the measurement for the width of the hole.

Place a stake in the ground on the spot where you want the tree to be. Use a square shovel to mark a circle around the stake as wide as the hole should be according to your string measurement.

Remove the sod inside the circle and dig the hole according to your measurements. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil at the bottom and sides of the hole

The tree should be as deep in the ground as it was in the nursery or container. This means the top of the root ball or potted soil should be flush with the ground. On a bare-root tree, look for the spot on the trunk where the color changes from darker to lighter.

2. If your tree is potted, slide it out of the container and tease out some of the small roots on the surface.

If you’re planting a potted or bare-root tree, cut off any broken or diseased roots with sharp pruners.

For a bare-root tree, make a little mound of soil in the bottom of the hole for the roots to rest on.

If you’re planting a B&B tree, leave the tree in the burlap.

3. Lower the tree into the hole and adjust it to the proper depth.

For a B&B tree, cut away the rope or wire, and gently peel the burlap from the root ball, cutting the burlap as necessary to make it easier to remove. Discard the burlap.

4. Fill the hole with the same soil you shoveled out. Water generously, and keep watering each week for the first year (except when the ground is frozen).

Prune any damaged branches. Apply a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch, such as straw or fine wood chips, over the soil, but not right up to the trunk.

If the tree is more than 10 feet tall, or if the location is very windy, it’s a good idea to stake it until the roots establish themselves, providing the strong, sturdy base that will support the tree for generations.

MEMO: Questions should be addressed to Martha Stewart, care of The New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10168. Questions may also be sent to Stewart by electronic mail. Her address is: mstewart@marthastewart.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Martha Stewart New York Times Syndicate