How to Select the Best Tree at a Nursery

How does one choose a tree in a 24 inch box at a large nursery grwing grounds? What do you look for?

The trees we are looking at are...
Acacia stenophylla- Shoestring Acacia
Leptospermum petersonii-lemon scented tea tree
Mayten boaria-weeping mayten tree

I would look for nice healthy leaves and something that looks appropriately sized for the container. If it looks way too small then you're not getting your money's worth, but if it's got roots popping out everywhere then it'll be harder to get the tree established well. I'd also look for a straight trunk, nice shape in the crown, and as thick/sturdy of a trunk as you can find, without going to a tree that looks like it's about to pop out of the pot.

Hi Puljoel, regardless of what kind of tree you buy, they are not cheep, so you take a good look at the top growth, have any branches been damaged has it recently had a haircut, are there any signs of aphids/deceased leaves etc, if you answer yes to any of these, then pass it by, dont be afraid to pull the pot out from all the other plants that are beside it, then walk around it, look at the trunk, are there any wound marks on it, any nicks where it has been knocked about a bit, has it got a label on it and what kind of instructions come with it, like, type of soil, which position suits it, (facing north/south/east/west, how large should it grow by ten years, foliage colours, winter/spring etc, what age should it be before it fruits/flowers etc, then lastly, is there any weeds/moss etc growing in the soil, if yes, then it has been in the same container for a long time, WHY, should it have been repotted a while ago????? if the answer is yes, then I ALWAYS knock it out from the pot, look at the roots, if they have been growing round and round the container, then it has been potbound for too long, it should have a nice root system, but not growing where it is all roots and no soil, lastly, pull out another two or three of the same named tree, and compare them, take the best, healthy one you can find, if no growing instructions are on the pot/tree, go to whoever deals with TREES ONLY, and ask all the questions, write them down so you dont forget once you are at home, it may be a week or so before you get time/weather to plant it,, I know a lot of people say they could'nt knock a tree out of the container to examine the root system incase the owners of the store did not like it, well you would not buy a bed and not sit/lay on it, so as the root system is what will give your tree the best start in the new growing site, then ofcource the owners wont mind, so long as you are not harming the tree, in fact, the nursery I use, they are happy to do it for you, they dont want a phone call to say after three months, the tree has died, make sure that your choice of tree, can be grown in the soil type you have as it will die on you if you dont comply with that.
When you get your trees home, make sure you give them a good watering,
I mean soak them, keep them safe from strong sun/high winds etc, till you get them into the ground, if pos, ask the nursery to net around the tree heads, as you transport them back to your place, they really dont like to have there open canopy blowing about as you drive 60 mile an our as you are desperate to get your new trees home as soon as pos, the wind from the journey could strip off the foliage, if they are too large to get neted (like you buy a Christmas tree) then ask to have the young branches tied in an upwards position, when you do plant, make the hole twice as deep as the container and the same wide, add good compost to the hole and mix with some of your soil, I always add a feed to the soil as they will be in this hole for a long time, follow the feed instructions, dont add extra for good measures as you will burn the roots, take the tree from the pot and check that it is going into the hole so that it will be planted at the same depth as it was in the pot, you will see the soil mark on the trunk, if too deep the trunk will suffer rot, it too shallow, the roots will grow above the soil, tease out a few roots and try spread them into the soil as you backfill the hole, then water it again, trample gently the soil as you fill the hole so you dont leave any air pockets, then you should have a nice planted tree that stands the best chance you can give, it may need a tree stake till it is well established, Tip) to help get water to the roots of a young new tree, cut the bottom off a plastic juice container, as you refill the hole, put the plastic container into the hole with the kneck into the hole, as you water the tree, by filling the plastic funnel a couple of times at each watering, you know that the water is going to the roots and not running off the soil going everywhere but the roots, after the first season and it is growing well, you can remove the plastic funnel. know this is long, but it is always best to do it right from the very start. good luck, WeeNel.

Oh Nel that was wonderful. One thing I would like to add is a bit of a difference of opinion. Something you mentioned first actually. If the soil type on the intended planting site is suitable for the tree you buy, there is no need to add compost to the planting hole.

I would also like to suggest that your planting hole should not only be twice as deep as the container, but also twice as wide. Many people don't realize how far a tree's roots spread from the trunk. Loosening the soil at planting time can help make it easier for the roots to spread. Here are some links that I found interesting, with more info.

http://extension.uidaho.edu/idahogardens/fvh/prepare.htm

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/WO017

Thanks Prairiegirl, I thought I had mentioned twice as deep and the same wide (meaning twice as wide)but I guess that could be interpritated as different, so sorry if I confused things, as regards the soil type, sure if the tree grows in your type of soil, you dont really have to add anything to the soil, but I always do, it lets me get the plant food I add to the soil better distribution, adds air around the roots and gives my new tree the best start pos, but your so right, it aint a must. I am just so used to paying a real lot of money for trees here in the UK, as most of them are imported, I need to be double sure it wont die on me the following year. so your right to point out we all have different oppinions, which is what gardening is all about, and how we all learn, just listen and hear all the ideas that will work. I am sure Pauljoel will learn from all our tips, I know I do. so thanks for adding the extra bits. happy gardening,WeeNel.

Most garden centres will guarantee their trees for 1 year. I would check that out too. And the thing I look for is the main leader. Make sure you choose one with a nice straight leader that has not been chopped off.

Oh, hehe, sorry I misunderstood your directions, Nel. The reason not to amend just the planting hole, and not the entire shrub border (is that really what you're doing?) is so as not to create a bathtub effect, which actually can lead to suffocation of the root system. Maybe your soil has been lovingly tended over the years, with lots of organic matter added.
That would no doubt favor your planting practices, and not be harmful in the least. :0)

That's very important, especially if you have clay soil. I have clay and I never do any amendments when planting trees and shrubs, the roots need to go out into the clay eventually and if you give them a nice beautifully amended hole to stay in, then they'll do exactly that and you'll wind up with a rootbound plant, not to mention the clay bathtub it's sitting in which will greatly increase the chances of overwatering the plant. I'm too lazy to amend my entire garden which is really the best thing to do.

Another idea if the soil is really heavy and clay is to plant the tree above the existing grade so that you avoid sitting it in a bowl of water. you mound the soil up and mulch it. Make a mini burm, of sorts.