Young Tree Care

The first three years are critical to the development of your young tree. Follow these guidelines to ensure a healthy tree and to minimize future costs and hazards.

• Newly planted trees need water in the summer- about 5 gallons per week for every inch of trunk diameter. Water should always be applied slowly. A garden hose set to a slow trickle and left for 30 minutes will do the trick. To test proper watering, dig to soil 2 inches below the surface. This soil should be damp, not dry and crumbling or saturated.
• Prune young trees to create a strong structure and to remove dead, damaged, diseased, crossing, and rubbing branches. This will reduce pruning needs when your tree is mature. Poor pruning techniques, such as topping, can seriously damage your tree so consider hiring a certified arborist. If you plan to prune yourself, check out the resources below to learn how to prune properly. Groups such as Plant Amnesty and Seattle Tilth provide tree pruning workshops.
• Be sure stakes do not rub against the trunk or branches, causing wounds

  These stakes should have been removed long ago.

  which can lead to infection and tree death. Remove stakes after 1-2 years. You can test if stakes are ready to be removed by grasping the tree at the bottom of the trunk and gently shaking it. If the soil around the tree does not move, the tree’s roots have moved into the surrounding soil, stabilizing the tree. The stakes can then be removed. DO NOT leave stakes on longer than necessary – if the trunk is larger than the stakes, the stakes should be removed!
  

YOUNG TREE CARE RESOURCES

Watering newly planted trees

Watering to establish your new plants

Pruning young trees - TLC for Trees

Pruning young trees - Trees are Good