Celebrate Arbor Day today at Finch Arboretum
Spokane will mark Arbor Day Saturday with an annual celebration of the importance of trees in our urban and rural environment. Appropriately, one of the region’s celebrations will be at Finch Arboretum in west Spokane where hundreds of different trees from all over the world grow on 56 acres. The celebration will mark Spokane’s fifth year as a Tree City USA.
There will be free activities for the whole family. The Master Composters will have hands-on demonstrations on building a hot compost pile, worm bins and managing compost piles. There will be a number of local environmental organizations providing information on native plants, planting trees, recycling, growing gardens, arts and crafts for the kids and caring for our urban forests.
If you can’t make it to the festivities, celebrate by planting your own tree. Here are a few tips that will help the trees you plant thrive for decades to come:
“When purchasing your tree, buy one that has a well-shaped crown with no dings or scrapes on the trunk. Plant it within a couple of days. When you get ready to plant the tree, locate the point where the trunk flares out to form the roots. This may mean digging into and removing dirt from the top of the root ball, but it is a critical step to the long-term health of the tree.
“Next dig a dish-shaped hole only as deep as the root ball and two to three times its width. Set the tree in the hole so that the root flare is at soil level and then backfill the hole with original soil. Do not add compost, peat moss or other soil amendments. Research has shown that trees are actually stronger if they are allowed to grow in native soil.
“As you back-fill the hole, have a hose running to wash the dirt into the small spaces. This will make a soupy mess, but it’s better for the tree. Let the water drain and finish filling the hole so the soil is level with the root flare. Build a ridge a couple of feet out from the trunk so you can flood the root area when you water. The tree does not need to be staked unless it’s in a windy area.
“Plan to water your tree deeply once a week through the next few summers. Don’t rely on a sprinkler system, even if it is drip or the heads are right next to the trees. It gets too hot and dry in July and August and you can lose the tree in a matter of hours.