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If you don’t water your young tree, it will probably die.

It can be hard to grow trees in Missouri. Our Missouri springs and summers can be too hot and too dry for too long for many trees to survive on their own.

• Please water your tree with 5-10 gallons of water each week from March-October. Water slowly and give the ground time to absorb the water.

• Water your tree like this the first 3 years that it’s planted.

• Consider watering it more during the hot and dry months of June-August.

Mulching is great for trees. Mulch helps retain moisture in the ground, which benefits the roots. And, mulch will break down over time and become organic matter in the ground, which also benefits roots.

But there is an incorrect/dangerous way to mulch. Do NOT pile mulch (or soil or anything) against the trunk of a tree (which often makes the mulch look like a volcano). The mulch will keep the bark constantly wet. And over time, the bark will rot off, opening up the tree to disease and preventing the flow of nutrients. Mulch against a tree for too long will kill the tree.

For most of these trees, except Rose Mallow, wait at least 3 years before doing any pruning.

The more leaves you have on your tree, the healthier and stronger the tree will grow. My recommendation is to NOT prune unless a limb is broken (where pruning will prevent more damage). Those lower limbs will help develop a fat, healthy, and strong tree trunk. They’ll also shade out the grass, so it won’t grow as much and you won’t have to mow under the tree.

Proper Pruning:

• In Missouri, prune during December, January, or February. This is the least harmful time of the year to prune a tree, because it isn’t busy putting out leaves when you prune. You can always prune dead limbs.

• Prune back to the branch collar (where the nub of the tree sticks out and begins forming the limb. Don’t make flush cuts along the trunk). A good prune cut should stick out a little when you’re done. It’ll callus over. This is the best way to help a tree heal from a prune cut.

• Do NOT prune off more than 25% of the tree’s leaves each growing season. Any more could greatly damage the tree. I recommend making just a couple pruning cuts. Keep those leaves. Your tree will thank you and give you a much stronger tree.

Images courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

Rose Mallows

Rose Mallows are a shrub (not a tree). Cut back all of their stems to 6 inches off the ground in late March – early April. You should have new growth coming in by the middle of May.

Downy Serviceberries

These trees can be grown as bushes, with many stems/liters. Or, they can be a singular liter. It depends on your preference. I like the bushy look, so I keep 5-7 stems on each of my Serviceberries.

Eastern Redbuds

Redbuds like to develop slightly drooping limbs and even a trunk. These can be slightly pruned back the second year it’s in the ground. Prune back to a bud. But don’t take off too much.

If the tree has trouble staying in the ground, yes please stake it.

Do NOT leave the tree staked for more than 1 year. After 1 year, the roots will have grown into the ground and will hold the tree in place. Trees need to sway in the wind. This swaying strengthens their trunk, making them stronger and able to stand stronger winds. Staking the tree for too long will prevent it from swaying in the wind and strengthening.

Flowering Dogwoods need to grow under some shade. Think about planting Flowering Dogwoods under and at the edge of another larger tree. Or, plant near a fence or building that blocks afternoon sun.

Consider planting Flowering Dogwoods in northern facing yards (as southern facing yards will usually get more sunshine).

Downy Serviceberries and White Fringetrees also like growing under a little shade.

Please call 800-DIG-RITE (344-7483).

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If you DO have wires in your ground, you can still plant. Plant about 10 ft. away from the wires to avoid major damage to the tree when work on the ground wires is being conducted.

Maybe.

Smaller trees and bushes are fine planted under them, because they won’t grow big enough to either touch them or do any damage. These trees include:

• Eastern Redbud (about 20 ft.)

• Elderberry (about 5-10 ft. tall)

• Flowering Dogwood (about 20 ft. tall)

• Downy Serviceberry (about 20 ft. tall)

• Rose Mallow (about 5 ft. tall)

• White Fringetree (about 20 ft. tall)