PLANT CARE
EVERGREENS
Below is some information to answer some general questions about the care of your evergreen trees. Please feel free to contact Blue Ribbon for additional assistance.
WATER: We encourage you to thoroughly water newly installed trees once or twice a week the first year according to weather conditions. Apply water with hose or bucket from the top. We do not recommend “root feeders”
BASIN: Your tree should have a mound of soil around the trunk creating a saucer which will hold water. It is very important to maintain the “basin” or “saucer” the first year in order for the tree to satisfactorily get thoroughly soaked.
FERTILIZER: When your tree was installed, it was fertilized with a slow release planting tablet that will feed your tree for two years. We recommend additional fertilizer the third year using “Jobe’s Tree Spikes” following their recommendation for established trees. Remember that tree roots grow laterally 2-3 feet per year so spike placement should be 6-8 feet from the tree trunk the third year after planting.
INSECTS: A new troublesome insect has invaded scotch and Austrian pine in Eastern Iowa. ZIMMERMAN PINE MOTH has been causing severe damage the past few years but is very easily controlled. Apply dursban or lindane insecticide the last week of April and the first week of August. Saturate the trunk as much as possible and spray the foliage as well. Timing is particularly important in the life cycle of the moth.
WATER: We encourage you to thoroughly water newly installed trees once or twice a week the first year according to weather conditions. Apply water with hose or bucket from the top. We do not recommend “root feeders”
BASIN: Your tree should have a mound of soil around the trunk creating a saucer which will hold water. It is very important to maintain the “basin” or “saucer” the first year in order for the tree to satisfactorily get thoroughly soaked.
FERTILIZER: When your tree was installed, it was fertilized with a slow release planting tablet that will feed your tree for two years. We recommend additional fertilizer the third year using “Jobe’s Tree Spikes” following their recommendation for established trees. Remember that tree roots grow laterally 2-3 feet per year so spike placement should be 6-8 feet from the tree trunk the third year after planting.
INSECTS: A new troublesome insect has invaded scotch and Austrian pine in Eastern Iowa. ZIMMERMAN PINE MOTH has been causing severe damage the past few years but is very easily controlled. Apply dursban or lindane insecticide the last week of April and the first week of August. Saturate the trunk as much as possible and spray the foliage as well. Timing is particularly important in the life cycle of the moth.
SHADE TREES
Below is information to answer some general questions about the care of your trees. Please feel free to contact Blue Ribbon for additional assistance.
WATER: We encourage you to thoroughly water newly installed trees once or twice a week the first year according to weather conditions. Apply water with a hose or bucket from the top. We do not recommend “root feeders”.
BASIN: Your tree should have a mound of soil around the trunk creating a saucer which will hold water. It is very important to maintain the “basin” or “saucer” the first year in order for the tree to satisfactorily get thoroughly soaked.
FERTILIZER: When your tree was installed, it was fertilized with a slow release planting tablet that will feed your tree for two years. We recommend additional fertilizer the third year using “Jobe’s Tree Spikes” Remember that tree roots grow laterally 2-3 feet per year so spike placement should be 6-8 feet from the tree trunk the third year after planting.
TREE WRAP: Your tree arrived with a protective paper that should be left on for 1 year. Maples should be wrapped each fall for winter protection until their trunks grow to 5: in diameter. All other tree varieties need only protection the first year.
STAKING: With few exceptions, our trees do not require staking. We develop a strong trunk in our protection program. Pin-oak have a tendency to be crooked growers, especially the tops. Trees that are staked must be protected from wires, pipes, etc. with cloth or rubber support so as not to damage any bark or limbs.
INSECTS: We recommend a general purpose insecticide for nearly all situations. If “bugs” become a problem, purchase an all-purpose insecticide and follow the directions on the bottle. Isotox and Orthene are commonly available products.
RIVER BIRCH TREES: River Birch has become a very popular shade and ornamental tree. The following is some additional information specific to River Birch.
River Birch is a native tree to Iowa. It is adaptive to several soil types but is very moisture demanding. Thorough watering once or twice a week is essential the first two years of growth. When hot, dry, windy weather prevails, watering every other day is necessary. Yellow leaves appearing in mid to late summer are an indication of more water required. We recommend fertilizing the first of April with 13-13-13 (or something similar), at the rate of 1 cup per inch of stem diameter. Jobe’s Tree Spikes” are also very good to use.
Insects are a minor problem to birch. We recommend a general purpose insecticide if “bugs” become apparent. Purchase an all-purpose insecticide and follow the directions on the bottle. Isotox and Orthene are commonly available products.
WATER: We encourage you to thoroughly water newly installed trees once or twice a week the first year according to weather conditions. Apply water with a hose or bucket from the top. We do not recommend “root feeders”.
BASIN: Your tree should have a mound of soil around the trunk creating a saucer which will hold water. It is very important to maintain the “basin” or “saucer” the first year in order for the tree to satisfactorily get thoroughly soaked.
FERTILIZER: When your tree was installed, it was fertilized with a slow release planting tablet that will feed your tree for two years. We recommend additional fertilizer the third year using “Jobe’s Tree Spikes” Remember that tree roots grow laterally 2-3 feet per year so spike placement should be 6-8 feet from the tree trunk the third year after planting.
TREE WRAP: Your tree arrived with a protective paper that should be left on for 1 year. Maples should be wrapped each fall for winter protection until their trunks grow to 5: in diameter. All other tree varieties need only protection the first year.
STAKING: With few exceptions, our trees do not require staking. We develop a strong trunk in our protection program. Pin-oak have a tendency to be crooked growers, especially the tops. Trees that are staked must be protected from wires, pipes, etc. with cloth or rubber support so as not to damage any bark or limbs.
INSECTS: We recommend a general purpose insecticide for nearly all situations. If “bugs” become a problem, purchase an all-purpose insecticide and follow the directions on the bottle. Isotox and Orthene are commonly available products.
RIVER BIRCH TREES: River Birch has become a very popular shade and ornamental tree. The following is some additional information specific to River Birch.
River Birch is a native tree to Iowa. It is adaptive to several soil types but is very moisture demanding. Thorough watering once or twice a week is essential the first two years of growth. When hot, dry, windy weather prevails, watering every other day is necessary. Yellow leaves appearing in mid to late summer are an indication of more water required. We recommend fertilizing the first of April with 13-13-13 (or something similar), at the rate of 1 cup per inch of stem diameter. Jobe’s Tree Spikes” are also very good to use.
Insects are a minor problem to birch. We recommend a general purpose insecticide if “bugs” become apparent. Purchase an all-purpose insecticide and follow the directions on the bottle. Isotox and Orthene are commonly available products.