A Checklist for Smart Shopping: In the market for a tree? This guide will help you make a healthy start.

Note: This article is mostly relevant to larger caliper stock, and is actually not recommended for fruit trees unless an “instant tree” is needed (such as in the case of street trees) as a result of situations like vandalism or accidental destruction. Planting large trees is not recommended, especially in the case of edible fruit trees (large fruit trees are rarely available anyway), unless exposure to destruction demands it. A smaller tree will establish better at the site and will require fewer years of intensive care for it to merely survive. It can also be properly trained by pruning from the start.

To paraphrase a slogan, “an educated nursery consumer is the environment's best customer.” In this article, we're going to give you the right tools and necessary knowledge for you to select the highest quality tree at the nursery. First of all, make sure you have decided on the placement of the tree in your landscape before going to the nursery. Have a good idea about what type of tree you want (shade, flowering, ornamental, or evergreen windbreak tree, for instance) and how much space you have for it. Be sure to envision the tree fully grown and that you have enough space above and below ground for it to grow to its full potential (check especially for utility lines). Site-specific soil conditions (wet, dry, sandy, etc') are also very important for getting the right tree for your use. After you read this article, you will be able to select the highest quality tree–one that will, with proper care, grow to be all that it can be.

Equipped with this information, you will make the best investment in your tree. Remember, a tree is a living thing, and its structure and health are already somewhat determined by the time you go to the nursery to buy it. It's a good idea to call your local nursery ahead of time and make sure its trees are grown to the standards set by the American Association of Nurserymen.

It's also a good idea to be ready to plant your tree as soon after you buy it as possible. Ideally, prepare the planting area before your trip to the nursery, and don't let the tree set out for a long time after bringing it home. To further increase your tree's health and longevity, use American Forests' tree-planting specifications. For a copy of the article “The Best Way to Plant Trees”, send $3 to American Forests, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC 20013–2000.
–Deborah Gangloff, American Forests' Vice President for Program Services

Guidelines for Buying a Healthy Tree:

General Appearance:
  • The tree should have a balanced shape.
  • Balled and burlapped trees are bought during the dormant season, so have no leaves. For containerized trees, make sure there are no bare spots in the foliage, missing or damaged limbs, or discolored or spotted leaves, unless it's the end of the summer season.
  • The tree should have a single strong “central leader.”
  • Check the size of the crown and rootball in relation to the caliper size of the tree (see figure above).
Crown:
  • Make sure the branches come off the leader trunk at between a 45-degree and a 90-degree angle. The more the angle (the more parallel to the ground), the better.
  • Wounds from pruned branches should be calloused over, or well on their way.
  • Branches should be distributed evenly throughout the tree. This is called good scaffolding. There should not be any “clusters” of branches.
  • Branches should be about one-quarter of the height of the tree. Too-long limbs place undue burden on the tree.
Trunk:
  • The trunk should be straight.
  • Look for insect damage such as bored holes.
  • The trunk should be free of discolored, swollen, or sunken areas.
  • No wound should be longer than one-quarter of the trunk's circumference.
Balled and Burlapped Trees:
  • The trunk should not move independently of the rootball.
  • The burlap should be tightly wrapped.
  • The trunk should be in the center of the rootball.
  • Tree roots are pruned and cut before they are wrapped. Avoid trees with cut root tips wider than the average finger.
  • The more fibrous or “hairy” roots you have, the better. It is stressful for any tree to be replanted, and more intact roots give the tree a better chance to survive.
Containerized trees:
  • Potbound roots are in danger of “girdling” – encircling the inside of the pot. This occurs when the tree has outgrown its container; girdled roots strangle the tree and do not provide an adequate support system when the tree is planted.
  • Avoid trees that have large roots coming out of the water holes or with roots circling on the surface of the soil.

After you buy your tree, keep it out of direct sunlight and keep the burlap moist. Try to have your planting site ready before you bring your tree home.

Caliper size refers to the diameter of a tree's trunk size inches above the ground of the base of the tree where the roots connect. It is an important part of selecting a tree because it will help you ensure that you are getting the proper dimensions for both the height of the tree and size of the rootball. Ideally, the bigger the rootball, the better. The chart above provides some overall dimensions to help you find the “properly sized” and correctly proportioned tree.
–Chris Horned, Assistant editor

Reprinted with permission from reprinted from Urban Forests magazine, Febuary/March 1994. P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC. 20013-2000.

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