Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1876 — Transplanting Evergreen Trees in Autumn. [ARTICLE]

Transplanting Evergreen Trees in Autumn.

If evergreen trees are transplanted in late autumn, they cannot be expected to survive the cold of winter, for the reason that the roots have no vital hold' on the soil. But if they can be put in a deep, rich and mellow bed so early in autumn that the roots will send out new rootlets, which will take a vital hold of the soil before the end of the growing season, the chances for living will be greatly in favor of the trees. Hence if trees be planted in September, there will be sufficient heat in the soil to start a system of new roots at once. A farmer of extensive experience has communicated his practice as follows, with reference to transplanting evergreen trees early in autumn: It is generally supposed that spring is the only safe season to transplant evergreens. Indeed, so uniform is the teaching of nurserymen and other writers on the subject, that one who has never tried it is likely to be led to’the conclusion that it cannot be successfully done at any other season of the year. My own experience has led me to the conclusion that while May and early June is a good season for this worK.u. is not the only time that this work may be successfully performed. Some years ago it became necessary, in changing the location of a nursery, to reihove a large lot of evergreens during the latter part of August and early September. Thcv ranged from two to eight feet in height. The weather was dry and no special pains were taken more than I would take in handling any stock under similar circumstances ; that is to guard against the drying of the roots while out of the ground. As the soil was quite dry, some water was poured in around the roots when the hole was half filled with dirt. Not one per cent, was lost, and the trees grew the next year as if they had not been disturbed. The difficulty in transplanting evergreens is found in the fact that the leaves are always on, and of course evaporation goes on all the time. The idea seems to be, therefore, to get the roots into action as soon as possible after the operation of transplanting. At the season of which I speak the growth has ceased and is simply ripening up, and the tree hastens to restore the balance between root and top by pushing out in a short time small rootlets from the mutilated roots. With these precautions evergreens may be transplanted in the late summer and early fall. Never let the small roots get dry. Pack the soil well around the roots, and if very dry, water m setting and then mulch well to keep the soil from drying out. If the ground is poor, bring a few shovelfuls of rich soil from some other place to scatter directly on the roots. — N. T. Herald.