Planting Two Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood' Parasol Trees
Two handsome London planetrees now flank the north entrance gate to my living maze.
The London planetree, Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood,' is a relative of the mighty sycamore. It is actually a cross between two sycamore species - Platanus occidentalis, the American sycamore, and Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane. Right now, these trees are about 10-feet tall, but they are fast growing and will reach up to 75 to 100-feet at full maturity with beautiful parasol canopies - a perfect choice for this spot.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The London planetree is a large shade tree with a broad crown that can be grown with a parasol top like this or with a more rectangular and upright panel like those I planted within the maze last fall.
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- The leaves of the London planetree are simple and alternate. They grow six to seven inches wide and are leathery leaves that have three to five lobes each, similar to the maple. The leaf color is bright green and the margins are predominantly un-toothed.
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- I wanted the trees to flank this gate at the north end of my maze. In the distance, one can see my home. At first, I thought the trees would be best inside the gate, but my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, suggested they be planted outside the gate – and we all agreed.
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- Once the exact locations were measured and marked, the digging began.
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- The holes must be pretty wide – at least two to five times as wide as the root ball.
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- The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a wide planting hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment. After the hole is dug, a good fertilizer made especially for transplanting trees is added to the existing soil.
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- Chhiring measures the root ball to ensure the hole is big enough.
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- And here he is measuring the hole. The tree is very heavy, so the hole must be the right size before the tree is moved into position.
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- Next, Chhiring begins to remove the twine securing the wire cage to the root ball.
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- And here he is cutting the wire from around the the root ball.
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- Then, securing chains to the bottom of the wire cage still intact, Chhiring carefully moves the tree into position with our trusted Hi-Lo.
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- Once it is lowered into the hole, the wire cage is removed in its entirety. If left untouched, these wrapping materials could reduce the ability of a tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some gardeners will leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything, so there is nothing blocking its root growth.
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- And here is the wire and twine completely removed.
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- Pasang also removes the burlap from around the root ball.
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- Phurba adds more fertilizer once the tree is in place. It is very important to feed the plants and trees. I always say, “if you eat, your plants should eat.” We use a quality food with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption. Now it is ready to backfill.
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- The same soil that was removed from the hole is returned around the tree and lightly tamped down to ensure good contact.
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- The same process is done with the other London plantetree.
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- The crew rotates the tree on its root ball to make sure it is completely straight and turned with its best side facing out. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
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- Mulch is then placed on top of the tree pit – but remember, “bare to the flare.” The root flare, also called the trunk flare, is where the first main roots attach to the trunk. Do not bury the flare. Tree roots need oxygen to grow. By keeping the root flare above ground level gives tree the best environment.
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- Phurba rakes the mulch so it looks neat and tidy.
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- And then Chhiring gives it a good drink. It should be watered regularly after planting to encourage a healthy root system, but then watering frequency can be reduced once established except during periods of extreme heat. Although the ‘Bloodgood” is not considered a drought-tolerant plant, this variety can tolerate short periods without water.
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- Both trees already look so beautiful here. And they will thrive in full sun. It’s always so exciting to see the gardens evolve around the farm.
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