Tree Day!

Last October we planted trees. I know that 6 months ago is DECADES in blog time, but it seems relevant because now the weather is getting warmer and the most recent additions to Peachtree Farmstead have been on my mind. They have begin to awaken from their winter slumber, pulling off their blanket of snow and stretching their roots. They are thirsty! Time to water...

I remember Tree Day like it was yesterday. We visited a few places to look at trees, and came upon The Tree Farm in Longmont. It is beautiful and organized, and offers just about any type of tree or shrub you can think of. We were toured around the inventory in a golf cart, while given useful insight about what trees would do best on our property. It didn't hurt that they were offering specials on most of their inventory (Fall is a great time to shop for trees).

We wanted to line our long driveway with trees, and needed a hearty type that could stand up to wind and also create shade when full-grown. The Greenspire Linden was just the ticket. It's flexible wood makes it strong against wind, and is able to adapt in many types of soil, making it a perfect Colorado tree. We also went with the Red Oak. It is a large, easily adaptable tree as well, and the leaves are dark red in the fall. We decided to alternate between the two types in lining the drive, making a red and yellow pattern when the leaves change color.

Our tree leader showing us around the Tree Farm

Gandy and Grant tagging the most promising-looking Lindens to take home with us

 Once home, we proceeded to map out where these trees would go. We made sure to get far enough away from the pavement to make sure the roots had ample room to grow. We drew the line out with a string and ground staples. With a post hole digger, a shovel and some sweat, we proceeded to dig through the top layer of sod, the lighter topsoil, and the more dense subsoil. We dug about 2 feet down and about 3 feet wide, loosening the dirt at the bottom to ensure the roots had ample room to spread out and grow. The holes must be just short of the size of the root ball, so the base of the tree (the root flare) is above ground.

Arriving to their new home on the back of Stella Blue

 After the trees were placed in their new homes, we piled the soil back into the spaces around the tree, making sure not to place too much over the root flare of the tree. Then we gave them plenty of water, which is very important when trees are first in the ground. We wrapped the trunks as well to keep them protected.

Since they are young and pretty fragile, they must be staked for a year or so to make sure they stay upright, especially since the wind can get strong and they are out in the open. Grant cut 2" pieces of wood at the ends to make a sharp angle that we hammered into the ground at 2 sides of the tree, tying each side to the tree. We had to tighten the string occasionally throughout the winter, but it was a pretty solid method.

Next came the mulch. We placed pieces of cardboard all around the tree and piled about a foot of mulch on top, creating a warm blanket for the roots. We have plenty of chipped up wood mulch from two trees we had to cut down that were infringing on our house, touching the roof. We hated to cut these trees down, but felt a lot better when we planted thirteen of them in their place. And being able to use the fallen trees in a number of ways helps too. It is the circle of (tree) life, and it's a lot of fun! Stay tuned in 5 years when these guys will be huge, shade-giving trees. For now, they look like this: