Big Trees understands that construction schedules and moving times do not always coincide with the best time to transplant trees.  Ideally trees are transplanted when they are dormant.  This is the period after the leaves drop in fall and before the spring growth begins.  However, not to worry if you missed the ideal transplant time because with 25 years of transplanting experience we have developed a method that allows for successful summer transplants. 

We are able to transplant trees in the summer with additional steps and treatments.   The aim of antitranspirant and antidesiccant treatment applications are to reduce the water loss, and stress associated with water loss, of trees during the transplant process. 

Just what are antidesiccants and antitranspirants?  The dictionary gives two different meanings for ‘desiccant’ and ‘transpire’.  Desiccation means to ‘dry or dehydrate’, where transpiration means to ‘pass through pores or membranes.’  In the horticultural world an antidesiccant would be a substance used to stop dehydration in plants and an antitranspirant would be a substance that stops the loss of water from leaves.  In the horticultural world both terms can be interchanged.  For simplicity let’s just use antitranspirant from here on out.

Here is a brief introduction on tree biology which may help you understand how antitranspirants work.  The evaporation of water from plants is called transpiration, and almost all transpiration occurs through leaf openings called stomata.  Water is literally pulled to the tops of the trees by transpiration. Transpiration aids plants in mineral and water absorption, and it is necessary for the plant process of photosynthesis, which is critical for tree growth and ultimately the well being of the plant.

Plants control the size of the leaf openings (stomata) based on external environmental conditions and internal chemical triggers.  Transpiration is at its highest when light is available, the temperature is high, the humidity is low, there is a slight breeze and adequate water is available.  If water is unavailable during high periods of transpiration the leaves of the tree wilt because water is lost through leaf openings faster than it is being absorbed. 

Big Trees applies antitranspirants as a root soak and as a foliar spray.  The foliar spray is a clear liquid coating that forms a shield over the leaf surface.  This shield works as a physical barrier that aids in the prevention of water loss from the stomata.    The foliar spray can significantly reduce plant stress associated with water loss during the transplant period. The foliar spray also provides protection against insect damage, UV degradation and windburn.

The root soak is applied as a soil drench which can then be absorbed into the tree’s root system.  It is best absorbed into the root system when the soil is already partially moist.  Through transpiration the root soak is moved from the roots through the canopy of the tree.  The root soak contains Abscisic acid (know as ABA).  ABA works as a natural chemical trigger. As ABA is moved through the tissue of the tree it deactivates transpiration by triggering the leaf stomata to close.  The plant reduces its transpiration naturally. 

Both the root soak and the foliar spray work together to make summer transplant possible.  They should be applied at least 24 hours prior to the dig.  The effects of both applications can last up to three weeks.  The root soak and the foliar spray come as concentrates which are diluted with water before they are used.  They are easy to apply, they are environmentally friendly and completely safe, and best yet they produce excellent results.

By: Valerie Easton

Gardeners struggle with views. It’s not that we don’t appreciate a panorama of water and mountains as much as the next homeowner, but we want our trees as well.

We hate it when our prized plants get lost in a big view. No one pauses to admire a magnolia or Japanese maple, let alone a clematis or tulip, no matter how gorgeous, when the Space Needle or Mount Rainier looms in the background. How can gardeners compete with a snow-topped volcano, a working harbor or the lights of the big city?

Competition, it turns out, is a losing game. Pursued to an extreme, you end up with a Disneyland cartoon of a garden. Yet for those who love plants, it’s discouraging to keep them pruned back and down so you don’t intrude on the vista.

“If people would just relax on trees a bit, they’ll get so much pleasure from both the trees and the wildlife they attract — and their views will be more dramatic and dynamic,” says landscape architect Charles Anderson. He suggests layering evergreen and deciduous trees for permanency, seasonality and peek-a-boo views. Trees lend shelter and shade, he says, bringing birds such as banded pigeons that need high perches. He suggests you pick your view, using trees to selectively screen out unwanted sights from the neighbors.

For a west-facing modern house high atop Queen Anne Hill, Anderson planted big leaf maples and madrones in front of the smashing view. Owner Phil Vogelzang says, “It’s bankrupt to get rid of the trees. They cut down on glare and give us shade, privacy and a close-up view of wildlife.” But do they block his view? “Trees can be sculpted,” he says.

Gardens make you feel safe and grounded, so you never have that queasy sense of standing on a precipice, according to designer Richard Hartlage of AHBL landscape design group. Like any garden, those with views must first relate in scale and style to the architecture of the house. This means that on a large property, conifers or elms might be used to frame the view. On a smaller urban or suburban lot, more modestly sized stewartias or dogwoods are an ideal foreground.

“If you can see a view from everywhere, it loses its impact,” says Hartlage. “So I make a judgment call — what am I going to highlight?” He closes in pieces of a garden for intimacy, while leading the eye toward the most magnificent views. His design for a Tacoma garden screens out the view from the street so you don’t see the water at first, while the main axis of the garden emphasizes the view out toward Puget Sound. “You use the garden to create progressive layers of foreground and mid-ground; otherwise, the view is just like a painting on the wall,” says Hartlage.

Landscape architect Bruce Hinckley, who designed the garden for Jim Dow’s home on page 42, says hectic city views can be fatiguing. He chose a limited, austere plant palette so it wouldn’t compete with Dow’s huge view of the city and Elliott Bay. Hinckley craned in a forest of mature black pines to modulate depth of field, meaning that the eye will focus on different depths and distances on its way to taking in the Space Needle and passing ships. “Trees bring the sky down so you can appreciate clouds and the changes in weather,” Hinckley says.

Trees also provide some measure of solar control and privacy. Finding just the right amount of shade and shelter on an exposed site can be a balancing act. “Remember, if you can see, you can also be seen,” says Hinckley. “And who wants to keep their blinds down?”

Too often, with a big panoramic view, people cease to really see it. By using trees as framing and foreground, Hinckley assures, “You may see less, but you’ll enjoy it more.”

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and author of “A Pattern Garden.”