Is "Bigger Always Better?" The Truth About Plant Size
Not everyone knows this, especially those new to gardening, but are you aware that around here our best time to plant is autumn? Note to self: another great subject for an article. Yes, if you have a choice in the matter, I recommend you wait till fall for planting. But, that isn't always possible.
Although it is summer, and depending upon your proximity to our oceanic air conditioning, it can get pretty toasty, there are some things you can plant now. Yes, you can plant them now, and they will do quite well, just don't let them dry out.
Summer planting is fine for some things
All tropicals, and sub tropical plants will do fine if you plant them in warmer months. Go ahead and plant citrus, avocados, bananas, ornamentals, and ground covers. If you have a choice I would recommend against planting large trees and large shrubs, I would further recommend planting nothing larger than a five gallon sized specimen. You don't want the trees to lose more water through the leaves than they can pull up through their roots. Larger trees suffer too much shock, and wilt much too quickly and easily.
You see, when planting a tree in summer, it is actually preferable to plant a five gallon rather than anything larger. Could it be better to plant a smaller sized tree in other times of the year as well?
Why plant large boxed trees?
I have been reviewing plans for, and sourcing trees and plants for a new project. The designer's specifications called for 24" and 36" boxed trees. I suggested that the owner plant no tree larger than a 15 gallon, and for a few trees, I suggested we go for nothing larger than a 5 gallon. The client was perplexed by the lack of agreement between the designer and myself. Why would someone suggest a large boxed specimen when in fact, a smaller tree might be a better choice? In a word, well actually two words: instant gratification!
Instant gratification for the home owner by installing a large tree. It is like waving a magic wand...presto, change-o, instant tree. For the designer, the illusion of a more developed and mature product for their portfolio. For the contractor, a lot more money from the mark-up on a larger plant. Yes, instant gratification is a goal for a lot of people, and it can be...well, gratifying. On the other hand...
The real costs of large trees
Certainly the look of a tall, mature tree in the landscape can be awfully satisfying, but a very large specimen comes with a high price. Boxed trees are very expensive. Why so much? You are paying for time. How much is your time worth? It is probably the most expensive commodity you have. A 48" boxed tree is likely eight or more years old. How much would you sell eight years of your life for? Think of all the water, maintenance, and watchful care someone put into that tree. A boxed tree can cost thousands of dollars.
The high purchase price of the tree is only part of the equation. Factor in as well: the cost of delivery, heavy equipment to prepare the site and move the tree, a crew to do the work, and a crane to place it. A 48 incher will weigh 3,000 to 5,000 pounds! Three men and a boy aren't going to exactly fill the bill when it comes to unloading that big old tree. Even a 24" boxed tree is more of a challenge than most home owners want to tackle. There are still the issues of site prep, weight, moving the tree around and positioning it well. It can also be a major challenge just getting it home. I have seen trees arrive half beaten to death and defoliated after an uncovered (always cover your plants when transporting) ride home in the back of a pick-up truck. There is more to this than many folks foresee.
Another cost to consider is the cost of removal and replacement of a large tree if it dies. The cost of installation is often as much as the price of a replacement tree. Even if your tree is guaranteed, the cost of removal and installation of a new tree is usually not covered.
The problematic acclimation of large trees to your landscape
Certainly the biggest up side to a large tree is the instant look of maturity it lends to the garden. However there are also some profound down sides to large trees. In my opinion, the major potential down side is the difficulty a large tree undergoes habituating to its new site. The biggest obstacle to success is the transition from life in a box to life in your garden.
That large tree has only known soil developed by a nursery for growth in a container under nursery conditions. Your soil will not be like the soil the tree is accustomed to. Watering and properly moistening the roots becomes a huge issue. Your garden soil and the soil from the box the tree grew in will absorb and retain water at different rates. Very often your new investment is either too wet or too dry, and moistening the interior of the root ball can be tough. The interface between your garden soil and the tree's root ball remains a barrier to the tree's roots; that large tree, and even bigger investment more often than not becomes root bound and weakly anchored to its new home.
The poorly rooted tree becomes stunted at its current size, and often has a difficult time growing beyond its size at purchase for many years. How is that "instant gratification" looking now? Instant satisfaction has its price, and that price is a tree frozen in time at the size of its installation.
One of the most prevalent problems I encounter during consultations and assessments of landscapes is the death or failure to thrive of large boxed trees. Most people don't even get hold of me until it is too late. Their expensive tree is already dead. Babying those big trees is much tougher than people expect, and very often folks that call me are not gardeners at all, and have no basic intuition about their dying plants.
Some of the wholesalers offer a guarantee, you say. Well, most offer 90 days, and it takes longer than three months for the tree to die, even if it is on a nose dive toward death.
Smaller trees at installation means larger, healthier, and stronger trees in the future
As I stated earlier, when I consult with folks about landscapes I always advise them to plant five or fifteen gallon trees. If possible, for the long term good of your garden, I even suggest planting one gallon trees if they are available. This is especially true with trees such as pines, oaks, tipus, and other trees that grow very large and heavy. Certainly a knowledgeable consultant with a good handle on tree culture and tree's ultimate sizes is invaluable when doing long term planning.
To press the point further, I would never plant a tree from a 24" box, and certainly not any boxed specimen of a larger size. The biggest reason for swearing off large trees at installation is that they will never ever do as well in the future as a smaller tree.
Planting a five or fifteen gallon tree will allow the tree to root well into the existing garden soil and not nursery potting mix. The tree will be much less likely to become root bound. The smaller tree will catch up to even the largest boxed trees in no time. A smaller tree will be much less prone to root rot. The interface between the container and your garden soil is much smaller, and the tree will adapt to its new home all the sooner. It will develop deeper, more extensive, and more solidly attached roots. The trees scaffold will also be much stronger, as it flexes and adapts to its home and is not artificially supported by staking in a box.
How long will it take for the trees to catch up to the boxed tree?
I have never seen a published study where there was a controlled comparison between the growth rates of a large boxed tree and a smaller one, but I do have many, many years of anecdotal evidence. One particular case about thirty years ago displayed a side by side comparison for me.
I was doing a landscape installation in Scripps Ranch where two homes shared a large planted area in common. The landscape architect called for two Ficus Rubiginosa for a very large area. The neighbors that shared the space in common wisely decided to plant a f. rubiginosa as well, in order to harmoniously blend the shared area into an aesthetically pleasing common space. My clients opted for a couple of nice 15 gallon trees. The neighbor at very great expense planted a 48" boxed tree, The neighbor that planted the boxed tree had instant gratification. My clients had two rather small trees, that appeared all the smaller compared to the giant tree from the box.
I ended up doing the landscape maintenance for both homes, so the trees all received similar care, were planted in the same areas, and in the same soils. Within four years, the two 15 gallon trees were as large as the 48" boxed tree. The 48" box grew barely a bit. It looked fine, but just didn't really thrive.
By year five the two smaller trees overtook the neighbor's tree. But the big difference was the appearance. The two formerly smaller trees had a much more beautiful look, were more balanced, and the branches were much stronger.
As time passed another very interesting trait became apparent. The tree that came from the box developed large surface roots. The 15 gallons had no visible surface roots at all! Many years later, the trees that were smaller at installation are much more beautiful than their boxy neighbor.
I have seen this same pattern hold true for years. Delay your satisfaction by just a bit, and the benefits will be dramatic and much better for the long term. Put in the smallest tree your desires for a quick pay off will allow you to install. You will be happier in the long run.
Although it is summer, and depending upon your proximity to our oceanic air conditioning, it can get pretty toasty, there are some things you can plant now. Yes, you can plant them now, and they will do quite well, just don't let them dry out.
Summer planting is fine for some things
All tropicals, and sub tropical plants will do fine if you plant them in warmer months. Go ahead and plant citrus, avocados, bananas, ornamentals, and ground covers. If you have a choice I would recommend against planting large trees and large shrubs, I would further recommend planting nothing larger than a five gallon sized specimen. You don't want the trees to lose more water through the leaves than they can pull up through their roots. Larger trees suffer too much shock, and wilt much too quickly and easily.
You see, when planting a tree in summer, it is actually preferable to plant a five gallon rather than anything larger. Could it be better to plant a smaller sized tree in other times of the year as well?
Why plant large boxed trees?
I have been reviewing plans for, and sourcing trees and plants for a new project. The designer's specifications called for 24" and 36" boxed trees. I suggested that the owner plant no tree larger than a 15 gallon, and for a few trees, I suggested we go for nothing larger than a 5 gallon. The client was perplexed by the lack of agreement between the designer and myself. Why would someone suggest a large boxed specimen when in fact, a smaller tree might be a better choice? In a word, well actually two words: instant gratification!
Instant gratification for the home owner by installing a large tree. It is like waving a magic wand...presto, change-o, instant tree. For the designer, the illusion of a more developed and mature product for their portfolio. For the contractor, a lot more money from the mark-up on a larger plant. Yes, instant gratification is a goal for a lot of people, and it can be...well, gratifying. On the other hand...
The real costs of large trees
Certainly the look of a tall, mature tree in the landscape can be awfully satisfying, but a very large specimen comes with a high price. Boxed trees are very expensive. Why so much? You are paying for time. How much is your time worth? It is probably the most expensive commodity you have. A 48" boxed tree is likely eight or more years old. How much would you sell eight years of your life for? Think of all the water, maintenance, and watchful care someone put into that tree. A boxed tree can cost thousands of dollars.
The high purchase price of the tree is only part of the equation. Factor in as well: the cost of delivery, heavy equipment to prepare the site and move the tree, a crew to do the work, and a crane to place it. A 48 incher will weigh 3,000 to 5,000 pounds! Three men and a boy aren't going to exactly fill the bill when it comes to unloading that big old tree. Even a 24" boxed tree is more of a challenge than most home owners want to tackle. There are still the issues of site prep, weight, moving the tree around and positioning it well. It can also be a major challenge just getting it home. I have seen trees arrive half beaten to death and defoliated after an uncovered (always cover your plants when transporting) ride home in the back of a pick-up truck. There is more to this than many folks foresee.
Another cost to consider is the cost of removal and replacement of a large tree if it dies. The cost of installation is often as much as the price of a replacement tree. Even if your tree is guaranteed, the cost of removal and installation of a new tree is usually not covered.
The problematic acclimation of large trees to your landscape
Certainly the biggest up side to a large tree is the instant look of maturity it lends to the garden. However there are also some profound down sides to large trees. In my opinion, the major potential down side is the difficulty a large tree undergoes habituating to its new site. The biggest obstacle to success is the transition from life in a box to life in your garden.
That large tree has only known soil developed by a nursery for growth in a container under nursery conditions. Your soil will not be like the soil the tree is accustomed to. Watering and properly moistening the roots becomes a huge issue. Your garden soil and the soil from the box the tree grew in will absorb and retain water at different rates. Very often your new investment is either too wet or too dry, and moistening the interior of the root ball can be tough. The interface between your garden soil and the tree's root ball remains a barrier to the tree's roots; that large tree, and even bigger investment more often than not becomes root bound and weakly anchored to its new home.
The poorly rooted tree becomes stunted at its current size, and often has a difficult time growing beyond its size at purchase for many years. How is that "instant gratification" looking now? Instant satisfaction has its price, and that price is a tree frozen in time at the size of its installation.
One of the most prevalent problems I encounter during consultations and assessments of landscapes is the death or failure to thrive of large boxed trees. Most people don't even get hold of me until it is too late. Their expensive tree is already dead. Babying those big trees is much tougher than people expect, and very often folks that call me are not gardeners at all, and have no basic intuition about their dying plants.
Some of the wholesalers offer a guarantee, you say. Well, most offer 90 days, and it takes longer than three months for the tree to die, even if it is on a nose dive toward death.
Smaller trees at installation means larger, healthier, and stronger trees in the future
As I stated earlier, when I consult with folks about landscapes I always advise them to plant five or fifteen gallon trees. If possible, for the long term good of your garden, I even suggest planting one gallon trees if they are available. This is especially true with trees such as pines, oaks, tipus, and other trees that grow very large and heavy. Certainly a knowledgeable consultant with a good handle on tree culture and tree's ultimate sizes is invaluable when doing long term planning.
To press the point further, I would never plant a tree from a 24" box, and certainly not any boxed specimen of a larger size. The biggest reason for swearing off large trees at installation is that they will never ever do as well in the future as a smaller tree.
Planting a five or fifteen gallon tree will allow the tree to root well into the existing garden soil and not nursery potting mix. The tree will be much less likely to become root bound. The smaller tree will catch up to even the largest boxed trees in no time. A smaller tree will be much less prone to root rot. The interface between the container and your garden soil is much smaller, and the tree will adapt to its new home all the sooner. It will develop deeper, more extensive, and more solidly attached roots. The trees scaffold will also be much stronger, as it flexes and adapts to its home and is not artificially supported by staking in a box.
How long will it take for the trees to catch up to the boxed tree?
I have never seen a published study where there was a controlled comparison between the growth rates of a large boxed tree and a smaller one, but I do have many, many years of anecdotal evidence. One particular case about thirty years ago displayed a side by side comparison for me.
I was doing a landscape installation in Scripps Ranch where two homes shared a large planted area in common. The landscape architect called for two Ficus Rubiginosa for a very large area. The neighbors that shared the space in common wisely decided to plant a f. rubiginosa as well, in order to harmoniously blend the shared area into an aesthetically pleasing common space. My clients opted for a couple of nice 15 gallon trees. The neighbor at very great expense planted a 48" boxed tree, The neighbor that planted the boxed tree had instant gratification. My clients had two rather small trees, that appeared all the smaller compared to the giant tree from the box.
I ended up doing the landscape maintenance for both homes, so the trees all received similar care, were planted in the same areas, and in the same soils. Within four years, the two 15 gallon trees were as large as the 48" boxed tree. The 48" box grew barely a bit. It looked fine, but just didn't really thrive.
By year five the two smaller trees overtook the neighbor's tree. But the big difference was the appearance. The two formerly smaller trees had a much more beautiful look, were more balanced, and the branches were much stronger.
As time passed another very interesting trait became apparent. The tree that came from the box developed large surface roots. The 15 gallons had no visible surface roots at all! Many years later, the trees that were smaller at installation are much more beautiful than their boxy neighbor.
I have seen this same pattern hold true for years. Delay your satisfaction by just a bit, and the benefits will be dramatic and much better for the long term. Put in the smallest tree your desires for a quick pay off will allow you to install. You will be happier in the long run.
That makes a lot of sense. Thank you John.
ReplyDeleteThis is great. Have you seen any studies recently?
ReplyDelete100% agree! I have better success with 1-5 gallon plants than 15 gallon plants. I have a 15 gallon shrub that died and I replaced it with the same shrub in 5 gallon and the 5 gallon is now taller and healthier than the 15 gallon I planted 2 years before the replacement. Also, it's best to acclimate your plant by placing it in the spot/area where you will be planting it for a week or two before planting.
ReplyDeleteGreat piece of advise. does starbucks take apple pay
ReplyDelete