Ornamental Trees for Central Florida
Trees serve more purposes, than just giving a place a sense or beauty and tranquility. They help filtering, removing Carbon-dioxide, and replacing it with oxygen, to keep our air supply clean, acting as sound barriers, lower temperatures by shading, and reduce erosion. Knowing all this you can see that trees are essential to our environment. Selection of a tree is mostly likely based on personal preferences. In Florida there’s a great number and variety of trees. The best place to purchase a tree is from nursery, it’s much easier to plant. They grow more successfully, than ones taken from the woods, due to their more developed and compacted root system. Container-grown trees can be planted year-round.
- Steps on tree planting-
- Make the hole 2-3 times as wide as the container the tree is in.
- Make the hole no deeper than the height of the root ball.
- Gently place the tree straight into the hole and be sure that the root ball is no deeper than the existing landscape soil surface. Fill around the ball with soil and gently firm soil. Water thoroughly while planting to remove ay air pockets.
- From a basin around the edge of the root ball with soil 3-6 inches high to facilitate watering.
- Mulch with 2- to 3- in. layer of organic material to buffer soil temperature, conserve moisture, and reduce weed competition.
- If needed, support the tree with staking or guying.
- Fertilize 4-6 weeks after planting with slow-releasing fertilizer on the surface of the root ball and the backfill soil.
Fertilizing is usually desired when trying to establish a new planted tree. Normally, we’d want the new planted tree to get a quick start and grow rapidly. When this is the case, fertilize about 4-6 weeks after planting and then 2-3 times per year for the next 3 years. Once trees are established, usually 3-5 years after planting, they won’t need additional fertilizer, if they’re grown in a turf where the shrubs and turf are fertilized.