Imagine that we’re walking along city streets in Israel and see boulevards of adult trees: a row of a few dozen/hundred meters of straight trunks, developed trees with uniform canopies, foliage, flowers or fall displays. We wouldn’t find many of these, if any. Why is that? It’s been decades now that trees have been planted alongside city streets. We see boulevards of large trees next to small ones, some that have developed and some that have degenerated, crooked, broken trees, those that have been unclearly pruned, those that have lost their shape, boulevards that contain different types of trees … It seems that there are several things that we’re not doing well enough.
Share:
Awareness: first of all, we need to know how a good tree-lined boulevard should look. What do we expect to see in terms of the design of the trees, whether their rate of development is reasonable, uniformity, the tree’s health and vitality.
It’s important to understand that every tree has its own unique nature that is expressed in how it grows, the rate at which it does so, how we care for or prune it, the conditions that best suit it and so on so that it can develop in the best way possible. First and foremost, it’s important that the trees coming from nurseries arrive in ideal condition: the emphasis is on the design of the tree’s structure and a root system adapted to the age and size of the tree canopy.
Another equally important step is the space where the tree will be planted. Planning trees for sidewalks requires a basic awareness of the area of land required and the type of soil in which the tree will be planted. The hole in which it is planted must be sufficiently wide and deep with nutrient-rich soil that is free of debris or other materials that may delay or interfere with the development of the tree.
Further emphasis needs to be on the pre-planned irrigation systems, which can ensure proper watering for one hundred percent of the trees on the boulevard for many years. This needs to be done meticulously and thoroughly. This way, we can know that we have facilitated the optimal conditions for all the trees along the boulevard. It is necessary to make sure that the irrigation system is working properly and is turned on at the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
There is a law in Israel that restricts watering in municipalities from April 1st. In practice, we have seen many cases over the years of long, dry periods during the rainy season. Trees begin blooming as early as January and until the end of March so nearly all trees are already in bloom and have begun the strong growing season. Without watering during that time, the so critical starting period, the trees will falter and lose their vitality; they will lose the important and vital momentum of growth and development that exists only in the awakening phase.
Attention should be paid to this, efforts should be made to change the law since its effect on trees, especially on young ones, is particularly significant. A problem, delay, or failure in irrigation during the hot seasons and during the growth period affects trees’ growth and development, especially young ones. Young trees, after planting, must be watered every two days and then have that reduced based on the season (the amount of precipitation and the temperature).
It is recommended that young trees that have completed a year of acclimatization (a season in which the tree produced new, significant branches of growth and doubled the diameter of its crown from the day of planting) be watered two or three times a week in spring and increasing to three or four times a week in summer and fall when the weather is still warm. This is for at least the first two or three years.
It is recommended that trees that are well-established, generally after two or three years (it’s important to note the seasons when the tree grows the most) have their frequency of watering reduced while the duration of watering is increased by at least twofold of that of a young tree and even up to three, depending on the type of tree. The objective here is to cause the tree to deepen its root system once it is well-established in the soil.
Some types of tree suffer from excess water: Jacaranda, Triadica sebifera and Albizia julibrissin suffer more from excess water during the planting period. Alectryon tomentosus and Cupaniopsis anacardioides are also sensitive to this. In general, it is necessary to pay attention for almost every tree so that the leaf color remains vital. Signs of yellowing and drying at the tips of the leaves are, for the most part, almost certain signs of excess water or lack of drainage. A tree that suffers from excess water will not grow and may even atrophy.
When pruning a young tree, it is important to focus on creating a balanced structure and preventing critical future problems at the junctions and angles of the branches around the central structure of the tree. It is recommended to prune all types of trees in the first years to raise the canopy and/or design the canopy, depending on their type and characteristics.
The capacity for growth varies among tree types. During a tree’s first years, pay attention to the trunk’s ability to strengthen the tree’s canopy without its bending or causing the direction of growth to be distorted or broken. Such a situation can be solved in two ways and sometimes in a combination thereof: supporting the tree if there are strong winds in the area and by pruning to reduce weight and ventilates the canopy of the tree (preventing the “sail effect”). In many trees, treatment will need to be repeated. In some, sometimes even more frequently until the creation of an established root system and a strong, durable tree structure.
It is important that pruning not exceed 30 percent of the crown’s volume. You don’t want to suppress or weaken the tree. By identifying and getting to know the type of tree and its nature, you can learn when it’s suitable and even optimal to prune it – and when not to prune it. Excessive pruning of trees that are heat- or cold-sensitive in summer or winter can really damage the tree and expose it many hazards.
Deciduous trees should be pruned at the end of winter, just a few weeks before its leaves bloom. The pruning can be significant to design the tree’s structure. Further, though not significant, pruning can be done at the end of summer (end of August–beginning of September). Large pruning cuts should be avoided during this period.
Evergreen and semi-deciduous trees should be pruned in spring and fall. The strong growth season begins in April; this is also a good time for significant pruning to design the tree’s structure and canopy shape.
With young trees with a high capacity for growth, consider pruning again in the fall during their first years. This is to avoid injuries that may be caused during the rainy season. Trees like Tecoma castaneifolia ‘Hagar,’ Hibiscus tiliaceus ‘Sitria,’ Tipuana tipu, Albizia lebbeck, Peltophorum, Jacaranda and Bauhinia.
Large pruning cuts should be avoided during this period, especially on the main structure of the tree. Pruning to elevate the canopy needs to be performed incrementally depending on the tree’s development and its ability to hold and balance the treetop. Rapidly elevating the canopy is likely to weaken the tree and bend or suppress the tree (harming the quantity of the assimilated) Trees like Quercus and Pistacia species and Acer obtusifolium. Furthermore, accelerating the growth of a tree to a certain height will most likely cause damage to the tree’s balance, deform it and expose it to wind. It also will increase the likelihood of breakage. Trees like Corymbia torelliana and Platanus and Populus species.
As stated above, raising the canopy needs to be done incrementally and based on the tree’s thickening and hardening. This will attest to its establishment in its new location. In such a case, short pruning should be done for the temporary structural branches until the structure above them develops.
When a tree shows signs of distress, such as a problem with growth, yellowing or browning of the leaves, excess water, diseases or pests, it should not be pruned. Rather, the problem should be solved and only after it shows new, significant and vital growth can pruning be resumed. When a tree is identified as being in a state of dehydration/strain, pruning the ends of the branches (the new growth) and removing a large portion of its leaves can help.
Another subject of equal importance is getting to know the types of trees. This instructs us as to what should be planted and where and what shouldn’t be planted. Celtis, Fraxinus, Quercus, Pistacia and Platanus species are excellent boulevard trees. Albizia, Peltophorum, Cassia and Hibiscus species are less suitable as street trees.
In addition, the importance and advantages of grafted trees should be understood. In natural tree propagation (by seeds), trees present variation in their properties. Sometimes this is more significant and sometimes less. In practice, we cannot control this. With vegetative propagation or grafting, we preserve and duplicate desired properties of the tree. Thus we can obtain uniformity in the canopy shape, in the foliage, in the color of flowers and in the fall colors. We can also determine the tree’s sex, whether it has thorns, its resistance to diseases or pests etc.
With the help of raising awareness and striving for professionalism, I have no doubt that in the future we will be able to enjoy uniform, magnificent and impressive boulevards of trees.
We are a wholesale nursery. Retail clients are welcome by appointment with Joy – 054-8681199 | Offices 08-8573047
Orders via WhatsApp 054-8680188 | ilanursery@gmail.com
עץ יחיד:
מסנן ומטהר כ-1000 מ”ק אוויר מזיהום
מייצר 700 ק”ג חמצן
קולט מעל 20 טון של פחמן דו חמצני
מסוגל לספוג כ-20 ק”ג אבק בכל שנה
ולבלוע תרחיפים המכילים מתכות רעילות, כמו כספית, עופרת וליתיום
חלק מהחמצן באוויר שאנו נושמים מיוצר על ידי העצים
העצים מכינים עצמם לחורף, שבו פעילותם נעצרת. כדי לא להינזק מפגעי הקור מפחיתים העצים את שטח הפנים, ע”י השלת העלים, כצעד הסתגלותי המאפשר להם לשרוד בתנאי החורף המקשים. הקולטנים שבעלים, הרגישים לטמפ’ היורדת, מפסיקים את ייצור הכלורופיל, הכלורופיל הקיים מתפרק והצבענים האחרים שבעלים נחשפים, והעלים הופכים מירוקים לצהובים, כתומים ואפילו אדומים.
בעת שלכת הסתיו, צבעי השלכת – בעיקר האדום – מאפשרים לעלה להישאר מעט יותר על העץ וכך העץ “שואב” את שארית החומרים המזינים מהעלים ולנצלם עד תום. צבעי שלכת ביערות שלא בעונת הסתיו מאפשרת ליערנים לאתר בעיות.
המלצות ואפשרויות לשילוב שקדים בתפריט היומי:
*תודה לגילי חדש – רפואה טבעית
הפרט המוכר הכי עתיק בעולם הוא עץ מזן Pinus longaeva המוכר בשמותיו העממיים Great Basin bristlecone pine או intermountain bristlecone pine או western bristlecone pine, שנמצא ביער Ancient Bristlecone Pine שב’הרים הלבנים’ בקליפורניה.
גילו מתקרב ל-5,100 שנים!
גם העץ השני בגילו המוכר נמצא באותו יער, והוא גם כן תת זן של אותו עץ. הוא בן יותר מ-4,800 שנה. תת זן זה קיבל מהחוקרים שמדדו את גילו את השם “מתושלח”
הפרט הכי גבוה בעולם הוא כפי הנראה עץ מזן
Sequoia sempervirens
שנמצא בפארק הלאומי רדווד בקליפורניה.
גובהו 115 מטר
גינקו דו אונתי מהווה מעין ‘מאובן חי’. הוא התקיים כבר בתקופות פרהיסטוריות.
בחפירות ארכיאולוגיות נמצאו חלקי מאובנים שלו מלפני 270 מליוני שנים!
עמידותו הרבה, והיכולת להזריע את עצמו בקלות, סייעו לו להתקיים לאורך הדורות. הוא כל כך עמיד, שפרטים בודדים שלו שרדו אפילו את פצצת האטום בהירושימה בשנת 1945, למרות שהיו במרחק קילומטר אחד או שניים בלבד ממוקד הפיצוץ. לא רק שעצים אלה שרדו, הם אףהחלימו לחלוטין לאחר זמן קצר יחסית.
