Planting Pine Trees and Littleleaf Lindens
It's no secret how much I love planting trees and my Bedford, New York farm continues to transform with the planting of many beautiful and interesting specimens.
I’ve planted thousands and thousands of trees since I moved to this property. Trees are so important to our environment - they help combat climate change, provide habitat and food for birds and other animals, and release oxygen for us to live. Every winter, my outdoor ground crew spends several weeks “cleaning the woods” - clearing it of overgrown brush, so more young, healthy trees can be planted in spring. I feel strongly about reforestation and giving back to the earth, so the more trees planted, the better.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The outdoor grounds crew set out to plant a row of trees along this paddock fence from the peafowl pen to the stable barn. These littleleaf lindens were originally potted up as bare-root cuttings and nurtured for more than a year. When we first potted them, they were all less than a foot tall. They are now more than five-feet tall.
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- Tilia cordata, commonly called littleleaf linden, is native to Europe. It has been widely planted in the United States as an ornamental shade tree because of its attractive foliage, dense, low-branched, pyramidal to ovate form, and its tolerance to urban conditions.
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- The leaves of the littleleaf linden are ovate, shiny, and dark green up to about three inches long with tapered tips, serrate margins, and cordate or heart-shaped bases.
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- These littleleaf linden trees usually produce a single leader trunk that supports evenly spaced, horizontal branches that bend slightly toward the ground. They are medium to large deciduous trees, typically growing to 50 to 70 feet tall.
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- Littleleaf lindens grow well in full sun or partial shade. This sunny location will work well for these trees and offer a bit of shade in the area once full grown. These trees like moist, well-drained soil and can handle short periods of excessive moisture.
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- This end is just across from the new peafowl pen and a row of katsura trees we planted several weeks ago. I am excited to see all these young trees develop – littleleaf lindens are pretty fast growers.
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- The crew pulled a line of twine taut across the space, so the trees could be planted straight about three feet from the fence.
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- An “x” marks the spot where each tree will be centered and planted. Chhiring uses marking spray, often used for landscaping jobs. Knowing the mature size and spread of a tree is crucial in determining exactly where trees should be placed.
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- Each specimen was placed close to its mark.
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- Next, Carlos begins digging a hole for the tree where the “x” was sprayed.
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- These holes are about 10 inches deep. Planting depth is one of the most important factors. Planting a tree too deep can kill it. “Bare to the flare” is the rule of thumb. Look for the root collar or root flare – the bulge just above the root system where the roots begin to branch away from the trunk. The root flare should be just above the soil surface.
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- And don’t forget the fertilizer. A good fertilizer made especially for new trees is sprinkled in the hole and generously around the base of the tree once it is in the ground.
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- I always like to add stakes to provide additional support while they become established. Chhiring uses long bamboo sticks to secure alongside the tree. Bamboo comes in a variety of lengths and is easy to find at garden supply stores.
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- These stakes will remain here until the tree is well-grounded and can stand on its own.
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- In spring, I also like to plant trees back in the woodland, after areas have been cleared of overgrown brush. The crew placed a variety of pines in this area I call the triangle – an intersection in the woods where two of the carriage roads meet.
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- Pasang digs a hole where the tree will be placed. These trees are placed more randomly around the space to give it a natural appearance.
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- Here, we use M-Roots with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
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- We use a lot of these trug buckets around the farm – they are so useful for holding fertilizer, but also great for gathering debris, vegetables, etc.
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- Dawa sprinkles a scoop of fertilizer on the surrounding soil of each tree.
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- Then, he removes the pine from its pot. These were also originally potted up as bare-root specimens.
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- Some of the trees in this area are Pinus resinosa, known as red pine or Norway pine native to North America. It grows from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as a few small pockets in extreme northern New Jersey and northern Illinois. We also planted Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine – a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the most widely distributed pine species in North America.
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- Pine trees are evergreen, with a multitude of needles that remain on the tree year-round. The pine needles on each species of pine grow in bundles on the branches. These bundles are known as fascicles.
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- Dawa loosens the soil around the root ball before planting. This stimulates new growth and promotes good aeration. He also assesses the tree to see which side looks best. The best side will be pointed outward, so it looks prettiest when seen from the carriage road.
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- Dawa then backfills the pine tree’s hole and tamps down on the soil lightly to ensure good contact.
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- There are many, many more trees to plant in this woodland, but this section looks good. Right now these trees are only about a foot or two tall, but these trees grow at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13 inches to more than 24 inches per year.
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- All these trees are a great addition to the ever-evolving landscape at my farm. I am excited to see them develop and flourish. And they’re great for the wildlife – birds use them for protection and for nesting. What trees are you planting this season? Share your comments with me below.
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