Talking trees: From new varieties to extra savings, spring makes ideal time to plant

This piece is sponsored by Landscape Garden Centers.

It’s peak time for tree planting — and this year, there are new ways to save while greening up your property.

“Early spring is a great time to both plant and trim your trees,” said Grace Lehner, garden center manager at Landscape Garden Centers.

This season also brings new expertise as team member Carter Tobin recently became a certified arborist.

“We’re known as the tree experts when it comes to installing, selling and recommending trees, and now we can offer more long-term care,” Lehner said.

“We can come to your house, do a tree diagnosis and make recommendations for how to treat your trees, especially things like emerald ash borer and apple scab. Plus, we can offer trimming and tree pruning as long as we can reach it with our equipment from the ground.”

If you’re looking to add trees to your property, a wide range of options is available at the garden center.

Bareroot trees

Bareroot trees are among the most affordable and easiest options for homeowners to plant themselves.

Landscape Garden Centers still has inventory available for a limited time.

“Our bareroot cellar will be open for another two weeks. We’ve sold probably half of them, so there’s still stock left, but you want to get those in the ground before mid-May,” Lehner said.

These trees come without soil around the roots, making them lighter and simpler to handle.

“Bareroot are the easiest to install yourself. You don’t need to dig a deep hole — that’s one of the more common mistakes people make,” she said. “You’re probably digging not even a foot deep. It’s more important to dig wider.”

Options include shade trees like maples as well as fruit trees such as plum, peach, apple, cherry and pear, along with ornamentals like crabapple and flowering pear.

Landscape Garden Centers also offers tree planting services if you’d rather not tackle it yourself.

Potted trees

Potted trees offer flexibility and a longer planting window, with availability throughout the season.

“We’ve got a huge selection of potted trees,” Lehner said. “Ornamental trees are flying out the door: crabapple, Japanese lilac.”

They’re also eligible for added savings in many cases. The city of Sioux Falls recently increased its boulevard tree rebate to $100, and nearby communities such as Tea offer similar incentives.

“We’re seeing people come in with their vouchers,” Lehner said. “There are about a dozen varieties on the approved list.”

Popular choices include ginkgo, linden and honey locust. Pricing ranges widely, with smaller trees starting at $59 and popular potted maples typically between $179 and $299.

Homeowners can plant these trees themselves or work with an expert at Landscape Garden Centers.

Ball and burlap trees

For an instant impact, ball and burlap trees provide a more mature option.

“Our ball and burlap trees — the whole root ball is wrapped in burlap — are already mostly over 15 to 20 feet tall,” Lehner said.

Because of their size, these trees typically require professional installation.

“You need a trailer and equipment to get them in the ground, but the nice thing is you get that instant look of a tree and don’t have to wait for it to grow,” she said.

Landscape Garden Centers has strong inventory this season in varieties such as maple and locust.

“The best time to plant a tree is spring, and the next best is fall, but you can plant anytime the ground is thawed,” Lehner said.

No matter what kind of tree you’re considering, here’s some expert advice to consider.

Before you buy

Don’t skip right to a tree without thoughtfully considering the space it will need.

“Before you make a decision, it’s important to think about where on your property the tree will be planted,” Lehner said. “You need to understand how big it will be at maturity, so talk to an expert to understand that.”

The team at Landscape Garden Centers will come to your home and evaluate for a fee, but often showing photos of your property while shopping is enough to help the experts weigh in for free.

Water and fertilize

“The biggest thing is watering, making sure your tree gets an adequate amount of water,” Lehner said.

Rather than following a rigid schedule, she recommends checking soil conditions regularly.

“We recommend customers dig 4  inches down around the trunk. If it’s moist, you don’t need to water. As soon as it’s dry, you want to water,” she said.

Fertilizing also plays an important role, especially in spring.

“Now is a great time to apply fertilizer,” Lehner said. “If the tree has been in the ground more than a year, we recommend a granular fertilizer for any established tree to give it a jump-start.”

Newly planted trees benefit from a different approach.

“If you’re planting a new tree, use a root stimulator, which is a different fertilizer to help the roots develop,” she said.

Shop and save

Stop in through Sunday, April 26, and you’ll save 20 percent on all potted trees at Landscape Garden Centers as part of the Arbor Day sale.

Visit here to begin browsing online.