None of this is easy; it takes a lot of knowledge and work. Happy trees do not happen in the city without a lot of the right boxes being checked. What are they?
Start with healthy plant material with no problems.
Prepare a decent planting site that will make establishment easy.
Choose a plant that you know the mature dimensions of, and that is hardy here.
Plant properly at the root crown, into prepared soil that is easy for roots to develop in.
When planted properly, the tree will probably need to be staked, supported for the first few years.
Water when needed. After planting, install a dyke of soil around the planting hole that will hold water. Don’t over-water; check the soil before watering again. Drowning a new tree is easy to do.
Don’t prune; let the tree establish for at least two years. At about the time when you see healthy shoots a few inches long, you know the root system is now working very well.
Prune to establish a permanent form, multi-trunked, where each has its own space to grow into the light. This does not apply to most conifers, which usually take care of themselves.
Never make a large cut, unless the branch has broken.
Use intelligent natural target pruning concepts.
When long dry spells come, water the tree, at least the space underneath its crown, for 2-3 hours. Get the soil wet. This can last for another 2, 3, or 4 weeks. Again, know your soil and how it moves water to get this right.
Generally, the natural shape will look very good. Avoid the temptation to shape too much. The leaves make all the food; the tree is a balanced living system, leaves, trunk, and roots that grow in sync. The root system is completely dependent on the leaves for sugar, the energy they need to live. That’s the balance.
As the tree ages, you need to water more. The water needs always increase with the enlargement of the crown, the leaf mass.
As the years and decades go by, some internal deadwood may develop. This is from being shaded inside the crown. Remove these at natural target sites. Left alone, they can be infection sites for fungal entry.
Know the common and dangerous problems—insects and diseases that affect the species.
Visually inspect your tree at least once a week during the growing season. Look for abnormalities. Why did that branch die? Is it spreading? Who ate those leaves? Oh, it was only a few; that’s okay, that’s what trees are for, as long as we don’t have a heavy infestation.
If a large branch or trunk breaks in a storm, consult an arborist you have chosen who will put the health of the tree before his own ego. Many times, a cleaned up stub, left to sucker is much healthier that a large “correct cut” at the trunk that is too large to heal and will soon rot into the trunk.
Continue to water and monitor the tree through the years and decades, introduce the tree to your grandchildren and tell them its story, encourage biophilia in them so they can continue after you are gone.
Much, much more detail about all of these concepts is free to view in the articles section of my website. Please enjoy. And put TREES FIRST.
