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Making a naturist garden - part two Click here to return to part one 7. The right position Most trees grow in an asymmetrical
way. Mine is almost flat along one side, and has longer branches
stretching just where I wanted them to obscure my neighbour's
window. If you find the hole is in slightly the wrong place for
your tree, don't leave it too long before you've dug it out further;
the trees roots need to be in damp soil soon after emerging from
their container. It's always much easier to reposition a tree
when it's first naked; digging it up again and moving it could
well kill it if you're not confident about what you're doing.
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 Remember to get the tree in exactly the right spot, and to rotate it so the branches are growing in the right direction for shade |
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8. Fill in the hole Once you've got your tree successfully in place, it's time to start firming the rootball into the hole. Use a mixture of the TPMC and the earth you've excavated and make sure it's firmly compacted. Do this by treading on it with your feet, using the heel to get the most pressure. It's also critically important at this point to make sure you get the backfilling even: make sure the tree is straight and go round it each time you add soil to make sure the hole is filled evenly.
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 Make sure the base is really firmly settled on the growing medium |
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9. Fill with earth and compost As water is so vital for a newly planted tree, it's a good idea to water the soil every time you've added a few more inches, just to make sure it's really moist. I stopped and added a bucketful of water every nine inches or so of backfilled soil. You can even insert a piece of perforated drainage pipe down into the hole before you backfill it to make sure water definitely reaches the roots. But even if you do this you need to water the top of the tree too. As you fill in the earth, remember that the planted depth of the tree needs to be at the same depth as it was in the container. If you're a bit out, though, you can easily adjust by an inch or so all around, thanks to having cultivated the soil in the vicinity. You can put a layer of mulch around the rootball of the tree, but I wouldn't pile any up around the stem of the tree itself.
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 Fill the hole with a mixture of earth and compost and make sure the soil is really moist. Don't rely on rain, even in Britain. |
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10. Drive a stake You need to support the tree for the first year or so. Staking is not a permanent measure, but you need to stop the trunk moving around too much, to give the roots some stability as they anchor in the soil. If your tree is really nudist - as in bare root - then you can place the stake really close to the trunk through a gap in the roots. If like me you go for a container plant, you need to position the stake just beyond the edge of the rootball. Ideally I should have used two stakes but the tree is in a fairly sheltered spot. I tied it to the stake with garden twine, and cut a strip of plastic plant pot to go around the trunk of the tree. This prevents the twine rubbing against the trunk and stripping off the bark.
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 Put the stake at the edge of the rootball |
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11. Lots of water This is the most important bit, particularly if you've planted the tree in the summer. As long as they get enough water, though, any time of year is OK for transplanting trees. Give it a thorough watering as you plant the rootball, and then make sure the soil remains moist on top. Natural rain is almost never enough to keep a tree alive and stress-free when it's been transplanted. Note that simply making the top of the rootball wet is not enough, you need to make sure the water penetrates right down to the roots.
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 The most important thing of all: water, water and more water for a new tree. I go out naked every morning and douse the tree |
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12. Finished! And there it is! For the first few years it's a good idea to top dress the soil around the tree with fish, blood and bone mixture in the spring and add a layer of mulch too. The leaves don't hide much now but in a year or two there will be thicker growth and the window will be obscured. And if you want even quicker screening, simply buy a more mature tree... if you can afford the extra cost. Pruning will help encourage a tree grow in the right directions. If you're planting a hedge, remember it needs to be pruned twice a year during the warmer months, when there is no danger of frost. Planting trees makes anyone concerned about the environment feel good. Doing it naked just makes it feel that little bit more natural, and a little bit more special. I hope my tree thrives for years and years to come! Click here to return to part one
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Click here to return to part one |
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