Planting Trees Around the Farm
My Bedford, New York farm continues to transform with the planting of many beautiful and interesting trees.
Trees are very 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. I love trees, and every spring, I plant as many as I can - some in the woodlands, and some in designated areas around my home. It is one way I can give back to the Earth and help to create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet for my grandchildren, and for everyone.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Malus sargentii, occasionally called Sargent’s apple or Sargent crabapple, is a species of crabapple in the genus Malus. These will look wonderful in this space outside my stable. I already have four mature Sargent crabapples in front of my Tenant House and blog studio.
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- I chose to plant this group of Sargent crabapples right in front of my large bird yard where my peafowl and pigeons currently reside.
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- These are four of the five trees selected for this location. When selecting trees, always check for signs of injury from disease or trunk damage from mishandling. All these trees are in excellent condition.
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- The crew uses marking spray, often used for landscaping jobs, to indicate exactly where each tree will be planted.
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- 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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- All these trees look great in this space. Also when choosing trees or plants, be sure to consider the size of the specimens when mature. These trees will grow pretty wide – about six to 12 feet, so they need a good amount of space.
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- Here is a view from the other side. The Sargent crabapple also grows to about six to 10 feet tall – useful for planting under utility lines, along fences, as privacy screens and hedges, and on sloping ground.
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- Here, one can see some of the emerging spring growth. These trees show off abundant clusters of fragrant white flowers in May. It then yelds pea-sized fruit that starts out greenish-yellow and then turns bright red, hanging in clusters and persisting into winter.
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- When planting Sargent crabapples, be sure to select an area that gets full sun or at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
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- On the side perpendicular to the Sargent crabapples, we planted a row of upright katsuras. I love these trees. The katsura tree, native to Japan, makes an excellent specimen or shade tree.
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- Its foliage offers an array of colors throughout the year. In spring, heart-shaped leaves emerge reddish-purple, changing to blue-green as they mature. In autumn the color display changes again as the leaves turn yellow.
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- Another area that needed attention was the fence line behind my chicken coops.
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- Here, we planted a row of Hawthorns. Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, or hawberry, is a genus of several hundred species of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America.
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- This tree is also known as cockspur thorn because it sports numerous long, sharp thorns along its horizontal branches. A grouping of these trees makes an excellent protective barrier or living fence. Hawthorns prefer a well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
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- Last November, this area on one side of my Equipment Barn was cleared and planted with parrotia trees. All the sod pieces were neatly rolled and placed to one side. I never like to waste anything around the farm. I always try to repurpose and reuse as much as possible. These sections of sod will be replanted in grassy areas that have gotten bare over time.
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- Using twine spooled around a garden stake, Chhiring lined up the row centered in the newly cleared soil.
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- The marking spray indicates where each tree will be planted. Parrotia persica, commonly called Persian ironwood, is a small, single trunk, deciduous tree.
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- The crew digs each hole using both the spray marking and the twine as guides.
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- Parrotia persica ‘Persian Spire’ is in the family Hamamelidaceae, closely related to the witch-hazel genus Hamamelis. It is native to northern Iran and southern Azerbaijan and it is endemic in the Alborz mountains. It grows best in USDA Zones 5 to 8.
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- Each specimen was planted to the same height as it was in the pot. The parrotia can handle cold and hot temperatures, clay soil, air pollution, wind, and drought.
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- Parrotias are highly versatile and can be used in the landscape as a narrow growing tree, hedge or screen.
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- Parrotias have a long-lasting, elaborate autumn color display of ever-changing leaves that show off yellow, orange, burgundy and red hues.
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- Here are the same trees earlier this spring – they are all doing very well here, in part because of the excellent soil I have at the farm. I have worked very hard to ensure my soil is constantly amended and rich with nutrients. If you are unsure of your soil’s quality, have it tested. Kits are available at garden shops, online, and through your area’s cooperative extensions.
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- I buy many trees as bare-root cuttings and then pot them up and nurture them while their root systems develop before transplanting to more permanent locations. These trees are in an area near my Hay Barn.
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- And here are more trees located behind my stable. I can’t wait to see them all flourishing around my farm. In celebration of this week’s Earth Day to support environmental protection, I hope you can go out and enjoy some of the trees near your home, or plant a tree in your own backyard this weekend.
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