From page 27
ARBOR MONTH
effect.
Mulch the surface of the
basin and plant seeds or
seedlings on the inside of the
ridge, in circles. It is
extremely important to keep
the beds well mulched as
this prevents water loss by
evaporation.
Plant your young tree in the
centre of this basin. Firm it in
well and then water.
Stake the tree with a simple
post placed as close to the
trunk as possible and secure
the tree to it using
a piece of nylon
stocking or plastic
so that it is held
fairly firmly but can
still move a little
with the wind.
Movement of the
trunk in the wind
Make the hole square, not round, to
encourage the roots to grow outwards.
strengthens its base
partially decomposed
and leads to a stronger root
compost. If you have no
system. Avoid using material
objection to using animal
such as wire because it has
products in your soil, add a
no “give” and will cut into
few generous handfuls of
the trunk as the tree grows.
bone meal.
The sponge effect is mainFill the hole by adding an
tained by planting a one
eight-centimetre (four fingers) metre piece of plastic piping
layer of subsoil followed by a next to the tree, or a large
two-centimetre layer (one
plastic bottle with small holes
finger) of compost (or wellburnt into the bottom with a
rotted kraal manure, kitchen hot needle (or alternatively a
waste or dry grass). Water
tin can with holes in the
these two layers well and
bottom) into which water
continue adding layers of
can be poured so that the
subsoil and compost until it
water is sunk deeply into the
has all been replaced.
soil.
Then add the top soil,
Last, but not least, mulch the
layering it with compost just surface of the hole to prevent
as you did with the subsoil.
the evaporation of water.
The surface of the filled hole As they grow, water the trees
will be slightly higher than
regularly ~ deep watering is
the surrounding ground. By
essential to encourage good
adding organic matter and
root systems – until they are
watering each level in turn, a well-established.
sponge effect is created that
Give your tree a few
will retain water below the
handfuls of bone meal every
surface so that plant roots are spring and a good layer of
encouraged to grow downcompost or manure around
wards, giving them greater
its base in autumn.
strength.
Remove dead and diseased
Surface watering tends to
wood and prune away
make plant roots stay near
overcrowded branches, or
the surface.
those that are growing
Scoop the soil from the
towards the centre of the
centre of the circle to the
tree.
outside to create a basin
Making the hole square
encourages the tree's roots to
push on out into the virgin
soil when they encounter
one of the four corners. By
contrast, roots in a round
hole tend simply to grow
round the sides of the hole
and don't venture out into
the virgin soil.
Break up the subsoil at the
bottom of the hole and work
in plenty of organic matter –
dry grass, straw, manure,
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