Do you have a green thumb but no garden or balcony? The residents of big cities have it particularly difficult in spring and summer because green spaces are scarce in densely built-up areas. For those who still long to have their own garden, most cities offer the opportunity to plant a tree slice. What rules apply and how to be charmingGarden in small formatwe explain to you in the article. We also provide several ideas for hobby gardeners who have a property with trees - and are looking for inspiration for underplanting.
Planting tree slices: ideas for the hobby gardener
There is a fundamental difference between garden and street trees. The garden trees are private property and protected from dirt, garbage and animals. It is also much easier to underplant a garden tree because the hobby gardener always has an overview and can react quickly if necessary.
In contrast, street trees often present a real challenge to enthusiasts. Nevertheless, it is important to green every open space in the big city. This way, more living space can be created for small animals, birds and pollinators. We will first explain to you in detail how to plant a tree disk on the street or in the park and then how to plant onePlant under the garden treecan.
If you want to plant a street tree, you should:
1. Find the right tree. Trees with a tree disc have a border made of wood, metal or stone around the tree. Choose a tree that is close to your home. Then you can check how the plants are developing two or three times a week. Choose a deep rooter to keep root competition to a minimum. These include, for example, most pine trees, common ash, chestnut and common oak. Large, old trees have strong roots in the soil and remove water and nutrients from the earth. Tree species with a dense crown cast a thick shadow where hardly any plants can thrive. Young trees (but without support! Trees that need support are too young) that will continue to develop are therefore best suited. This means the plants have a better chance of survival and can successfully fight with the tree for resources.
2. Get a permit from the municipality or the parks department. Check with the relevant authorities to see whether your planting plan needs to be approved. This varies greatly from city to city. In some cities the volunteers are registered, in others this isPlanting tree slicesallowed and you do not need permission. Also ask whether you receive any support from the city. Sometimes the parks department provides the plants and sometimes the city supports the effort by covering the cost of the plant seeds.
3. Most plants need support, especially in the first year. You should therefore either be able to water them daily yourself and fertilize them if necessary, or ask a friend to do the job.
4. Choose the right plants (see below). Plan the planting so that it corresponds to the current status. For example, if you want to plant the tree trunk of a young tree, then you can choose plants for sun and partial shade. The reason: it will take at least 5 years for the tree to cast a thick shadow.
5. Regular care at least in the first year.
If you have oneTree in your own gardenIf you want to plant underneath, all you need is the soil quality, the age of the tree and the tree species (consider deep-rooted or shallow-rooted).
Plant the tree slice step by step
The right time to plant a tree slice is in early fall, before the first frost. The summer heat is already over and it rains much more often. This means you don’t have to water every two or three days. The fallen autumn leaves will protect the young plants from frost and at the same time provide useful nutrients.
Regardless of whether you want to plant a garden tree or a street tree, these are the most important steps:
- Clean the tree disc. Remove fallen leaves, grass and weeds.
- Carefully loosen the soil to a depth of 15 cm. If necessary, you can fertilize it with compost. Be careful not to damage the roots and tree bark. The cracks are weak points and make the tree more susceptible to fungal diseases and insect attacks.
- Do not shake potting soil onto the tree disc as this will compact the soil and make it more difficult for the roots to access oxygen.
- Choose low plants that do not grow taller than 50 – 60 cm. Otherwise there is a risk that children and pets will not be noticed by drivers in time and accidents can occur.
- Flowering perennials, low foliage perennials and bee-friendly spring or summer flowers are well suited. Choose native species that also grow naturally under trees.
- Strongly growing trees, ground cover and climbing plants are not suitable at all. In public areas, tree trunks are regularly checked for cracks. But even in your home garden, you may want to have the tree checked by an expert. Therefore the tree trunk should be kept free.
Suitable plants for a location in the sun: geraniums, purple bells.
Plants for tree slices in light shade: lavender, Gundermann, Japanese sedge.
Plants for tree slices in partial shade and shade: hostas, hellebore, various ferns.
Care instructions:You should care for the plants under a street tree the same way you care for the plants in your own garden. This means: water regularly, remove weeds, grass and withered flowers. In addition, you should keep the tree disc clean.
