Planting Lilac 'Palabin' Standards
Watching gardens, groves, and allees evolve and expand is one of the great joys of gardening. I am always looking for ways to improve the beauty around my Bedford, New York farm.
Recently, I purchased three new lilac 'Palabin' standards, Syringa meyeri, to plant in front of my dwarf apple espalier. These trees will extend the line of 'Miss Kim' lilac standards already growing in the space. These dwarf lilacs feature striking spikes of sweetly perfumed mauve pink blooms with neatly rounded heads and soft green foliage. The trees are from nearby Hardscrabble Farms, located in Westchester County, New York - a family owned and operated wholesale dealer that specializes in native species, ornamental conifers, evergreens, and perennials.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- If you follow this blog regularly, you may have seen photos of these gorgeous lilacs blooming in late May. These are blooming “Miss Kim” Korean lilac standards. These upright, compact lilacs bloom later than others, extending the season with fragrant flowers.
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- They feature long panicles of sweetly scented lavender blooms that burst from purple buds. I decided I wanted to expand the row with a few more trees and relocate one that was growing more slowly than the others.
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- Hardscrabble Farms is located on Hardscrabble Road in North Salem, New York – a short drive from my home. Hardscrabble has a very diverse, and healthy inventory of beautiful trees, shrubs, and plants. I see something new and interesting every time I visit.
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- The facility is located on more than 40-acres of land. Its helpful staff assists landscape professionals in selecting plant material, designing landscape spaces and delivering orders to the site. On this day, I went to pick up three Syringa meyeri ‘Palabin’ standards I knew would look great next to my existing ‘Miss Kim’ lilacs.
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- As soon as we got the trees back to my farm, I directed my outdoor grounds crew in placing them. Two were positioned at one end and the third was positioned in the middle to replace the smaller lilac to be moved. Don’t worry, the tree is just moving to the very end of the row where I feel it will do better.
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- Using bright orange stakes, I marked exactly where the trees would go and the crew started digging.
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- It wasn’t long before Domi dug the appropriate sized hole for the specimen. When planting a balled tree, always dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the diameter of the tree’s rootball. The depth of the hole should also be about two inches less than the rootball’s height.
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- All the holes dug are sprinkled with a generous amount of fertilizer. It is very important to feed the plants and trees, especially when they are transplanted.
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- For all our new trees, we like to use Roots with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
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- Meanwhile, Brian and Pasang remove the smaller tree that is being moved to the end. When removing a tree, dig around the outside of the rootball to keep it intact.
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- Brian and Pasang wrap a tarp around the rootball before transporting it to the new location. This has to be done carefully to prevent the rootball from falling apart.
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- The tree is carefully placed in the front loader of a tractor and taken to the end of the row.
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- Then it is gently rolled out of the tarp and into the hole – with its best side facing the road.
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- Finally, the hole is backfilled and raked.
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- Next, one of the new trees is positioned in the tractor and taken to its new home.
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- Balled and burlapped trees often come with wire baskets around the rootball. The cage is usually on the outside of the burlap covering. The purpose of wrapping the rootball with burlap and wire is to hold everything together so chunks of heavy soil do not fall out or tear roots, to protect the roots from dehydration and sunburn, to allow trees to be safely moved, and to reduce the chances of damage during transportation.
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- The crew uses the same process for lowering it into its new hole. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the rootball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
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- Domi cuts the wire cage. This is very important to do. Leaving it may dramatically reduce the ability of the tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some cut the cages and leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove them completely, so there is nothing blocking the growing roots.
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- Brian cuts the protective twine holding the cage together and removes it.
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- The burlap is also removed, so there is absolutely nothing constricting the tree’s growth.
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- Once again, the crew turns the tree so its best side faces front and then Pasang backfills the hole. Remember the adage, “bare to the flare” – the all-important root flare of a tree is the foot or anchor of the tree. It should be exposed so that the tapered part of the trunk that meets the ground is visible and exposed to the air.
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- Brian also creates a bowl at the base of the tree pit, for added direction when watered.
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- Next, Brian secures the tree to stakes. Here, we are using strong metal piping, wire, and tubing to support the tree for the first year. The tree should still be able to move slightly; too much movement will rub the bark away, too little will slow tree growth and development. The slight movement will help to generate stronger roots and, in the case of high winds, the tree is less likely to snap off.
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- These five to six foot trees will be very happy here. I am looking forward to seeing them all bloom come May. I’ll be sure to share the photos in spring.
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