Planting evergreen landscaping trees is an ideal way to celebrate Arbor Day – which falls on April 27th this year.
Spruce, juniper, fir, cedar and other evergreen trees make for excellent, low-maintenance privacy screens, property borders and windbreaks. And, since these species don’t lose their foliage in the winter, evergreens can provide your Northern Utah landscape with year-round vibrancy and character.
For expert advice on planting evergreen landscaping trees in the greater Salt Lake City area, trust the Millcreek Gardens plant nursery professionals.
Selecting Evergreen Trees
Appearance is an important consideration when selecting evergreen trees but you shouldn’t base your choice on appearances alone.
Consider the size of your desired planting site and make sure the evergreens you choose will have ample space to reach their natural, mature size. Not only do landscaping trees need room on all sides for their branches to spread, but they also need adequate root space – otherwise, they may stop growing and decline or even die.
Purchasing Evergreen Trees
At Millcreek Gardens, our plant nursery professionals take great care to keep all our landscaping trees healthy, strong and beautiful.
When purchasing evergreens, however, you should always examine them for signs of problems. Don’t buy any with off-color needles, as yellow or brown foliage could mean that the tree is affected by disease or drought stress. Check the trunks for damage and oozing sap, and only purchase evergreen trees with good branch structures.
Planting Evergreen Trees
You can plant many deciduous landscaping trees in the later fall months but you should plant evergreens in the spring, summer or early fall.
Relatively warm soil encourages proper root development and helps evergreens grow and become established. Evergreens that are planted too late in the year may suffer moisture loss and turn brown during the winter.
Caring for Newly-Planted Evergreen Trees
After planting evergreens, apply a layer of mulch around the trunk. Mulch helps control weeds, staves off moisture loss, maintains soil temperature and improves the look of the landscaping. Spread much to the extent of the tree line, but leave approximately three inches clear around the trunk.
Newly-planted evergreens need regular watering. Make sure the soil around the root zone gets a good soak once a week until the ground freezes – and more often during hot, dry weather.
In the early spring or fall, you should do a soil test and add an appropriate fertilizer around the base of your evergreens. Be careful not to damage the roots, and water thoroughly after you’re finished.
This really is a great time to plant evergreens. Millcreek Gardens has a wide range of varieties that are well-suited for the Northern Utah area and our friendly garden center staff would be happy to share expert advice and tips on selecting and planting evergreen landscaping trees.
Are you ready to join Millcreek Gardens in celebrating Arbor Day? Stop by our Salt Lake City plant nursery today to browse our impressive selection of evergreen landscaping trees, shrubs, rose bushes and plants.