Improving quality of
Alberta Trees
We now use: all treated burlap
3/4 inch woven strapping to keep the baskets secure
fully tarped loads to reduce drying
evergreens are spirally wrapped reducing damage to branches
deciduous have protectors on their trunks
Other changes can be incorporated at your request
We can hold stock till you are ready after 30 days there may be extra watering charges for this
Tree Guide
ALWAYS PHONE FOR APPOINTMENT BEFORE COMING OUT
1-866-974-2693 780-674-2693Colorado Spruce [latin name picea pungens] have to be one of the most popular Aberta Trees. They can withstand a variety of climates and soil conditions. They are highly resistant to drying winds in exposed locations and are quite insect,bird and disease resistant. Yes bird, the yellow bellied sapsucker doesn't bother them much though they do go after the Norway spruce.
Colorado spruce grow to a good height of about 60 feet here and are long lived over 100 years. In some parts of North America they are shorter lived. They don't like climates that are too warm and or wet. They are obviously native to Colorado USA. They can be quite fast growing and can grow over a foot a year but then the internodes get too long and some people don't like that.
Generally they grow best on fair to poor quality well drained soil they do well in most parts of Alberta. All spruce seem to be highly susceptible to salt damage. So don't plant them where they get exposed to drainage off roads etc that are high in salts. I have heard that Ponderosa Pine are somewhat resistant to salts.
One of the most confusing things about Colorados is the name Colorado Blue Spruce/ Blue Spruce etc. There are named cultivars or varieties of Colorado Spruce selected usually for their blue color and or dense growing habit. There are also some that are dwarf and or smaller and pyramidal varieties as well.
But this is very important: Colorado spruce can be green or blue and all kinds of shades in between they are all Colorado Spruce. Not all Colorado spruce are blue!
One of my clients asked me to give him detailed instructions on planting and caring for trees. So I thought I would make a general sheet for anyone who needs the information or wants a review.
See below.
The tree
These trees come in wire baskets lined with treated burlap and the top of the basket is tied with ¾ inch woven strapping to hold the basket tight. We also will crimp the baskets in many cases.
The evergreens are usually spirally wrapped with biodegradable twine to minimize damage. The deciduous have trunk protectors on them. We use plastic wrappers and secure them around the trunk.
Remove all twine from the trunks it can grow into the tree and kill or ruin it in a year or two
Unloading and handling
When you get the load the tarp should be removed carefully and the trees should be removed from the load carefully starting at the front of the trailer or trailers.
When you pick the trees up use two hooks on your loader or loader arm. If you just have a bucket wrap a good chain with two hooks around the bucket and have about two-three feet of even chain hanging down. The parts hanging down should both be exactly the same length. They should stay the same throughout the process too sometimes they slip so secure them well.
It is important to hook in such a way the tree doesn’t hit up against the bucket or arm when you pick it up. Always be careful the wire hoops, chain or hydraulics can give out at any point the tree can drop suddenly and that could be dangerous to anyone in the way. Generally miss two of the top hoops with the chain hooks and hook the next two hoops. You hook two loops on each side of the basket not side by side so the basket and root ball aren’t damaged with handling. The tree should be tilted up a bit when you lift it not pointing at the ground. Make sure the chain is straight [not twisted] so the tree doesn’t spin when you pick it up.
Planting
Ideally the planting holes should be somewhat bigger than the root ball the tree should be positioned in the hole holding it in place with the chain attached to the loader and the hole should be filled around the tree with top soil not degraded manure or compost as these can burn the roots plant the tree 1-2 inches deeper than the top of the root ball. Too deep can cause the tree roots to suffocate they need air too. It should not be higher than ground level unless you are going to back fill the area and raise the grade.
The tree should be well secured with guide wires from three sides put a piece of rubber hose with a wire in it ¾ of the way up the main trunk around the trunk. This is what you attach the guide wires to. The larger the tree the more important staking and securing becomes. Trees like pines have very minimal root systems and will often blow out of the root ball. If you want your trees to survive tying is critical. Strong heavy wire should be used, as ropes are nearly impossible to keep tight.
Caution
Do not take the tree out of the basket the roots will grow right thru the basket and burlap the burlap eventually breaks down. The white strapping on top of the basket should be cut off once the trees is securely tied with the guide wires. It is now critical to keep the guide wires tight for two years. The bigger the tree the longer it takes to root down securely. Poplar and willow may root down faster than a pine for instance.
Once the tree is well secured and tied cut the white strapping on top of the root ball as it doesn’t break down make sure it is removed from around the trunk as well as any burlap from the liner that could be wrapped around the trunk
Watering
You have panted the tree 1-2 inches deeper than it was this keeps a dish over the root ball
You can also add to this water holding capacity by forming a dish around the top of the root ball with soil increasing the water holding capacity to 4 inches. This is ideal so when you water the tree 20-40 gallons depending on the size of the root ball.
It is ideal to water long and deep as Lois Hole always says. Under dry conditions you may have to water every two weeks like this. A high phosphate water-soluble fertilizer should be used to encourage root development once in the first or second watering. A well-balanced fertilizer like triple 20 should be used once a season first thing in the spring starting the second year. Watering should continue the first year and less often the second year depending on natural rains. A half inch rain does little to help the trees along unless you get one every day. A three inch rain is another story This could be like a deep thorough watering so don’t go and water again until the soil dries out. But also remember that the only moisture the tree has for the first couple of months is what is trapped in the root ball it doesn’t get much access to general soil moisture until the roots penetrate the surrounding soil. A mistake I often see is that the grass gets light watering and looks good but the trees don’t get much benefit from the watering as the water is only on the lawn or sod for an hour. This is not enough if you want to water the trees with this method then you have to put on two to thee inches of water at a time It is also important to not drown the trees. Over watering can do this. Plant the trees where they will grow best don’t plant plum family [Maydays, Shuberts etc] in low areas as they will generally drown out sooner or later. Elm poplar or ash can tolerate wetter areas. This is another topic all together.
Drought or moisture tolerant trees develop this ability once they are established for a about two years
Amur maple in fall colour
(Ginnala Maple)
