In the garden: What to bear in mind when planting trees

The rain has arrived after a great gardening month during October.

There was plenty of opportunity to get lots done in the garden in preparation for the end of the growing season, and alas, now the ground is sodden.

As the days are shorter and the temperatures lower, it takes much longer for the ground to dry out at this time of the year, and once the weather turns then we have to make the best of things and do what we can, when we can.

There is plenty of autumn leaf colour still to admire, both on the ground around the trees and still hanging in there in the canopy.

November has arrived and it is now officially tree planting season, although to be honest the temperatures are still in the double figures and grass is still growing, making it unseasonably mild for this time of year.

It is interesting to look at Met Éireann’s monthly data over the last number of years for rainfall amounts, soil and air temperatures and solar radiation, and compare how things were this time last year.

Now is the time to consider planting a tree or trees again, and it is a good time to look around and admire the autumn colours and select what might suit your own garden best.

When making a choice of tree, it is important to look at the space, soil and microclimate available. Making these considerations at an early stage will give a better chance of choosing the right tree for the right location, rather than planting something that may get too big for the space and need to be cut down after 10 years.

Carefully considering a tree’s height and spread over 10 to 20 years, a preference for acid or alkaline, wet or dry soil, and climatic conditions existing, will help to ensure a good fit.

We are lucky in Ireland that we have a temperate climate with not too many extremes in winter and summer temperatures.

Looking more closely at the aspect of the space for tree planting, is it facing north, south, west or east? This can be deciphered by looking at where the sun rises in the morning, and this is east.

Is the garden exposed or sheltered, is it open to the elements in winter time, or is there a shelterbelt of vegetation in existence around it?

Maybe there are lots of walls or fencing, this can create wind tunnels and wind eddies which become obvious when spending some time out in the space.

Is the garden overlooked, and is that a priority for establishing some tree cover, to provide privacy?

These are some of the questions which need to be considered at the early stages before going to the garden centre.

Get the groundwork right and that tree will have a home for life, and you will have the required cover, screening, autumn colour, spring flowering, scent, wildlife sanctuary, berries, evergreen structure or whatever it is you decided at the outset was required for the space.

Over the last number of years, with the increased frequency of storms and high winds, the planting of trees has become a worry.

Nobody wants to be creating a hazard for the future and some thoughtful consideration will avoid this situation.

Trees are such an important part of our ecosystem, they help to cool the planet, provide habitat and food for countless numbers of insect, bird, fungi, bacteria, lichen, moss, fern. They help to counteract air and noise pollution.

They lessen the run-off water from increased road and house building by utilising water in their roots and leaves.

Ultimately, trees are part of the solution, and making the right choice for your garden will help to make a contribution to a more positive future for our environment.

Perhaps your garden is too small for a tree and then a shrub may be the answer, which can have its crown raised over time to give the impression of a small tree. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Over the next few weeks, we will look at good choices of trees and shrubs for garden scale. The best choices for ornamental value, biodiversity and low maintenance.

There is a lot to consider, and a lot of trees and shrubs to choose from, so let’s get started!

Plant of the Week

This week, a good tree for a small garden, and a popular choice as they are slow-growing and require little in the way of pruning. I’m talking about Acer palmatum, or Japanese maple.

There are more than 1,000 cultivars of this ornamental tree and they are renowned for their autumn colour of red, orange and yellow leaves in particular.

They also produce beautifully coloured new growth in springtime, which can be a little underestimated.

Probably one of the best-selling points of these beauties is that they are slow-growing and so suitable for smaller suburban spaces.

They have delicate palmate leaves and prefer growing in dappled sunlight under the canopy of larger trees.

They do require shelter and will not thrive in an exposed location.

Acid or neutral soil is needed and there is a wide range of heights and spreads, depending upon the cultivar chosen, they range from about one metre to 10 metres in height.

Acer palmatum ‘Shin-deshojo’ is a shrub-sized acer which will get to about 2.5 metres in height and spread.

One of the characteristics to consider about these trees is that they are not considered to be of huge benefit to wildlife in the garden, unlike their native relative, Acer campestre, or field maple.