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Planting a tree is a wonderful experience, and helps enhance the beauty of the earth we live on. But care and forethought should be exercised in advance to help insure that each tree can reach its full potential.

In general, it’s best to try to plant young trees if you can. It’s certainly possible to plant a mature tree, but it’s very difficult to do for the average homeowner, and very expensive to pay for if you hire someone to do it for you. If it is necessary to have a mature tree for any reason, then it may justify the expense. But otherwise planting smaller trees that can grow into your home landscaping design may be your best solution.

The best time of year to plant trees is the springtime. The second-best time of year is late fall or even winter. You may choose to plant a young tree during the summer, but if so, then be sure to use one of the new wilt-proof sprays that help the leaves avoid moisture loss until the roots get well established. And if you are planting a tree that is taller than 6 ft., try to make sure that it’s moved with a burlap root ball to protect the roots.

Preparing the soil is extremely important for both tree and shrub planting. Generally speaking, it’s good to dig a hole about 2 ft. deep and about a foot wider in each direction than the full spread of the trees roots. Then make sure that the soil at the bottom of the whole is loosened quite a bit and is mixed with peat, loam, and fertilizer, before placing the tree in the hole. If for any reason you come across a layer of hard clay or building rubble as you dig your hole, be sure to remove a good portion of a that material and substitute in its place good soil that will promote growth for the tree right away. If you fail to do this, a new tree will most often not be able to get the nutrients that it needs and stands a good chance of dying.

A lot of people overuse manure as they feel that a lot ot it will benefit the tree. However manure should only be used sparingly on the top of the tree hole and not around the roots, as it can actually burn the tree instead.

For planting seedlings that are not balled in burlap, it’s a good idea to protect it before planting by giving it a mud bath, or puddling it. This protects the roots from exposure to the air before planting. When you have dug the hole to the proper depth for the seedling, fill the hole with water to allow the soil to settle at the bottom. Once the water is drained, then put the tree in position and apply the soil and settle at around the tree’s roots. Be sure to work the soil in closely to the roots, and don’t allow air pocket’s to develop in the hole. When the hole is two thirds full, pack it with soil tightly again and fill with water. Then go ahead and fill the soil up to ground level afterward.

Planting a balled tree root is somewhat easier because the root ball is being held in place by the burlap. So dig a hole about twice the size of the root ball and plant immediately. If the ground is dry when planting, fill the hole with water and let it soak in well before you actually insert the tree. Once the tree is in position, cut the top of the burlap and roll it back a few inches. It will eventually rot away into the soil that way.

After the first year, cultivate the tree as much as you can and keep weeds away by applying straw or mulch in both the spring and fall. This will also help keep moisture in the ground as well.

By following the guidelines listed here in this article you should be able to plant any tree correctly and successfully, and enjoy it’s beauty for years to come.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find free landscaping ideas and front yard landscaping ideas by visiting our Home Improvement website.

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Evergreen trees and shrubs are generally more expensive than their counterparts, although many feel that they are well worth the extra expense not only for their year-round beauty, but also their reliability and longevity. Evergreens can range all the way from broadleaved shrubs like rhododendron to the tall pines and spruces that many people think of as simply “evergreens”.

Perhaps the most common of evergreen trees is the pine. It’s noted for its long, soft needles and its rapid growth. In fact, they often attain 60 to 80 ft. maturity very quickly.Red pine is popular as well and useful for creating textured backgrounds and windbreaks. The Ponderosa pine is a more compact tree that is often used for wind protection and ornamental purposes. The Austrian or black pine, with its spreading branches is very commonly used in the Midwest.

Perhaps the most widely planted evergreen that is used for a windbreak is the Norway spruce tree. It grows very fast, it’s very hardy, has short dark green needles, and is shaped like a pyramid. The Black Hills spruce tree is also very tough and resistant to drought. It grows much slower than the Norway spruce but can still achieve a height of 40 ft. in time.

White spruce on the other hand, can mature close to 60 to 70 ft. in height and is often used in landscaping designs. Colorado blue spruce is generally hardy, however it does suffer some in extreme heat and drought conditions.

Red Cedar is perhaps the most popular of the evergreen Cedar trees. It’s often used as an ornamental tree for both hedges and windbreaks. It tends to be very tough and hardy, and takes winter very well.

Perhaps the best overall Evergreen tree for windbreaks and screening is the Douglas fir tree. It’s hardy and drought resistant, grows fast, has a pyramid shape, and looks great in most landscape designs. The Balsam fir, which is also known as the Christmas tree, is well-known for its fragrance and unique appearance. On the other hand, the white fir tree has an attractive silver color instead.

The Juniper family of Evergreen trees is often used in planting, with the tall types such as the upright Juniper being used as a textured background, and the spreading types like the Pfitzer juniper being used for groundcover and edgings.

Yew, has thick glossy needles and upward reaching branches, and can be used as both a shrub and a tree. In fact, they can even grow well in sun and shade, making it one of the most versatile evergreens.

Evergreens as a whole can be adversely affected by hot, dry weather conditions and need to be watered every couple of weeks or so at this time. Be sure to water it enough so that the moisture will reach deep into the ground at least 6 in. or so. Applying a layer of mulch in dry weather can also help protect against moisture loss during this period.

It’s a good idea to prune evergreens in the late spring just before the new buds appear. And in the late fall give them a good deep watering to help prevent the branches drying out and cracking under the weight of snow or the force of wind during the winter.

As you can see, there are a lot of varieties of evergreen trees that accomplish many different tasks in a home landscaping design. Hopefully this article will help you choose the one that will work best for your home and help you care for it properly too.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find free landscaping ideas and front yard landscaping ideas by visiting our Home Improvement website.

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Some people use their bathroom for daily ablutions while others prefer to call it a sanctuary where one discusses with one’s own self about how to begin the day. Whatever be the purpose, it occupies the smallest area and is more often than not, the most neglected. Simple inexpensive bathroom decorating ideas can change the locale overnight, turning that ‘tiny hole in the wall’ to a glittering icon of the home. However, by bathroom decorating ideas, I do not mean merely changing the shower curtain and replacing the broken toilet seat. Kindly read on to get first hand impressions of what I mean by bathroom decorating ideas.

Since bathroom occupies the smallest area in the home, mimicking a feeling of hindrance to free movement, stress may be given to changing this optical illusion. As bathroom decorating ideas, use mirrors do the trick easily. Not large wall fitting mirrors as they may overwhelm such a small place, but smaller framed mirrors to consistently create an illusion of space. If the frames are decorative, all the more better. Not all bathroom decorating ideas are expensive; you may as well call them innovative. Take for instance, the use of fragrant candlesticks in the bathrooms that is ideal for the limited space. They may not tend to create an image of candlelight dinner setting for two, but the soft glow is enough to calm and soothe the tired body and soul after a hard day’s toil. A tiny tip - use lavender or vanilla for greater relaxation.

Now here are other less expensive bathroom decorating ideas. Stack and arrange large fluffy bath towels in an oversize basket. If colored towels are used, they may change the texture of the room, providing warmth and intimacy. Decorative soaps also fulfill two major tasks, namely, adding variety to an otherwise drab interior and providing light fragrance to the small confine of the room. A few knick-knacks and objects-de-art removed from elsewhere and kept on the shelf along with things of necessity will complete the picture.

Since you have more or less taken care of the visual effects with bathroom decorating ideas, why leave the audio that also plays its part in calming the body and mind. Tiny, decorative FM radios are available these days. Putting one of them or a CD player in the bathroom may change the ambiance to a spa-like bathing area where you are likely to spend more waking hours than you did earlier.

For more home improvement and home decorating ideas check out our website Home Improvements.

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