KELLY TREE FARM
PLANTING AND CARE INSTRUCTIONS
MOST IMPORTANT: KEEP ROOTS MOIST, COOL AND OUT OF THE SUN, PLANT AT PROPER DEPTH AND CONTROL ALL COMPETITION FROM GRASS/WEEDS FOR FIRST 3 YEARS.
BARE ROOT SEEDLINGS OR TRANSPLANTS - Roots in plastic bags
1. Keep roots damp, but not wet-tops dry.
2. Check for moisture droplets on inside of bag, if present, moisture is adequate for short term storage, otherwise add small amounts of water.
3. Keep trees at 34-40 degrees until planted if possible or plant within 7 days without cold storage, plant at proper depth by looking for change of color on stem or plant just above roots, this is the soil line. Top lateral root 1” under ground surface. On trees less than 3 ft we cut off roots longer than 12” to ease planting.
4. These trees can be watered every 7-10 days to increase survival rate, if soaking rains do not occur, very important to control competing vegetation around plants.
5. For longer storage, freeze gallon milk jugs of ice and put in box to keep cool.
POTTED TREES
1. Potted - Gently remove tree, by turning pot over and sliding out tree, do not break up soil. Make two vertical cuts on sides one inch deep and one X cut one inch deep across the bottom of soil ball. Use the point of knife and “pull” the roots loose from sides and bottom of where the pot side and bottom was. Plant at same depth to one inch deeper as in pot, top lateral roots must be within one inch of soil surface. Set on firm base with no loose soil under plant.
3. Potted - Firm soil around ball, do not stomp on top of ball. Water at once and every 7-10 days up-to October 15 if 1 inch rains do not occur about every week. If watering be sure water is soaking in to the bottom of the root ball. Most important to control competing vegetation (grass-weeds) within 2 ft of tree with light cultivation, light mulch, or our favorite is chemical herbicide for the first 5 years.
4. After the first year we do not recommend that you water the trees as this keeps the roots from growing out in a normal rainfall year. If there is a drought the second year it is OK to water well about every 10 days.
AUSTREE WILLOW, POPULAR, OR COTTONWOOD- CUTTINGS OR POTTED:
1. Place cuttings in 12 inch deep bucket of water with buds pointing up for one week or more until 1/8 inch roots start to form along the stem, plant at once.
2. Plant 15” cuttings with 2 inches of the top sticking out of ground, no weeds or grass should be present the first year within 2 ft of the stem. If using them for a windbreak, after one year cut them all off 3 ft above the ground to get them to bush out more. Do not spray roundup within 45 days where the trees are to be planted ahead of time as it will kill them.
3. On potted willows, remove pot and plant 12 inches deeper than the top of the pot, if possible. No competition from grass or weeds is needed for survival and growth. Austrees stems are very sensitive to roundup so be careful spraying around them, but is necessary to control unwanted vegetation, and fast growth.
WEED & ANIMAL CONTROL FOR ALL NEWLY PLANTED TREES / SHRUBS:
1. Keep area around trees (2 feet from stem) free of all vegetation first 3+ years of life is very important especially for evergreens. The use of herbicides such as roundup and pendulum is our first choice, light mulch, ground cloth, or a hoe also works. Do not use plastic on the ground around trees- roots need air.
Herbicides if not available locally, are available for sale online at: www.domyownpestcontrol.com
2. Deer and rabbits, mice, voles and gofers must be controlled in any planting. In Iowa it is legal to remove any destructive state animal if you have documented the damage to your private property. We use: www.stopthedeerdamage.com
3. Do not let anyone hunt or trap coyotes, foxes or badgers in your tree planting they are your friends to control mice, gofers, rabbits and deer.
4. Never fertilize any newly planted tree, in Iowa or the midwest with normal topsoil, few trees ever need fertilizer, just good weed control.
5. Never use a weed whipper to control vegetation around your trees, it will remove the bark and kill the trees. We use herbicides for this job.
6. Do not use: 2-4-D, Tordon, Milestone, Forefront, Grazon or similar chemicals within 50 ft of windbreak or any trees you do not want killed. These herbicides and others can and will kill trees and shrubs, always follow label directions.
WARRANTEE ON TREES AND SHRUBS:
1. All of our bare root trees and shrubs less than 5ft tall have no warrantee; there are just too many variables to survival on these trees and shrubs.
2. On our larger trees, potted trees and Bagged trees do carry a warrantee. Windbreak trees carry a warrantee that says we will replace or refund up to 10 percent of the trees lost, if you are losing more than that, something else is wrong.
3. We do not warrantee trees that die from losses beyond our control such as: Droughts, Floods, Weather, Animals (above and below ground) lawn mowers, neglect, (no water or no weed control) planting to deep or in subsoil, winter damage or any other cause we have no control over. We can not guarantee plants sent threw the mail or UPS.
4. For trees to be eligible for warrantee replacement we must receive notification by September 1st in the year they are planted, or by July 1st for trees planted in the previous fall, and trees must be returned with roots attached. Warrantee does not include the cost of shipping or planting and is limited to one replacement tree per location.
OTHER QUESTIONS ?? Call us we will be happy to explain.
KELLY TREE FARM
191 Quincy Ave. CLARENCE, IOWA 52216 PH (563) 452-4300
www.kellytreefarm.com www.windbreaktrees.com E-mail ktf@netins.net