Tree landscaping in Boise, Idaho

Tree landscaping in Boise starts with a question I hear all the time: where should a tree go, and which one? Some people have a new house with a bare lot and a west-facing patio that bakes every afternoon. Others have a big old tree and a yard that's struggling around it, with thin grass, bumpy roots and nothing that will grow in the shade. Either way, a tree is the longest-lasting thing you'll plant, so it pays to get it right the first time.

Tree landscaping covers two jobs. The first is picking and planting new trees in spots where they'll do the most good. The second is designing the yard around trees you already have so they stay healthy and the space under them looks good. I handle both, and I'm on every job myself, from choosing the spot to the last bit of mulch.

The right tree in the right spot

Most tree problems come from a good tree in the wrong place. A small sapling looks fine three feet from the house. Twenty years later, it's rubbing the roof and its roots are under the foundation. Before I plant, I think about:

• Full size. How tall and wide the tree will get, not how big it is today
• Distance. Room from the house, fences, sidewalks, the driveway and overhead lines
• Sun. Shade trees on the south and west sides block the hottest afternoon sun in summer, and trees that drop their leaves let winter sun through
• Wind. A row of evergreens can block the wind that sweeps across open lots in the Treasure Valley
• Views and privacy. Where a tree can hide a neighbor's second-story window without blocking your own view
• Utilities. Buried lines get marked before any digging starts

Tree placement also affects everything around it. A shade tree can make a patio usable on a July afternoon. Placed wrong, the same tree can shade out a lawn or drop leaves in a pool.

Planting a tree in clay soil

Boise's clay soil is the biggest reason new trees fail. Clay holds water like a bowl. If you dig a deep, narrow hole and fill it with soft potting soil, water collects in the bottom and the roots drown. Roots also tend to stay in the soft soil and circle instead of spreading out.

Here's how I plant instead:

• Dig the hole wide, often two to three times the width of the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball
• Set the root flare, where the trunk widens into the roots, at or a little above the soil line
• Loosen or cut circling roots so they grow outward
• Backfill mostly with the soil that came out of the hole, so roots learn to grow into the native ground
• Cover the soil with a ring of mulch and keep it pulled back from the trunk
• Stake only when the tree needs it, and take the stakes off once it's rooted

Watering trees the right way

A tree planted in the middle of a lawn often lives on lawn water. That's short, frequent watering that keeps roots shallow, which makes the tree weak in wind and drought. I give trees their own water with drip lines or bubblers on a separate irrigation zone, so they get long, slow soaks that push roots deeper. In our hot, dry summers, new trees need steady water for their first few seasons while they get settled.

Landscaping around existing trees

A mature tree is worth protecting. Most of its roots sit in the top foot or so of soil and spread well past the branches. When I design beds, paths or a patio near a big tree, I:

• Avoid piling soil over the roots, which can smother them
• Route trenches and footings around major roots instead of through them
• Replace struggling grass under the tree with a mulched bed and shade plants
• Keep heavy equipment off the root zone

For big removals or major pruning on tall, mature trees, you'll want a tree service. I'll tell you if your project needs one.

Trees in the bigger picture

Trees shape the rest of the yard. They decide where the lawn will thrive, where shade plants belong and where a patio will be comfortable. I often plant trees as part of yard landscaping or lawn landscaping projects, and they're a core piece of green landscaping, since shade cuts heat and water use. The shrubs and perennials under and around trees are part of my planting and softscape work.

What affects the cost

The price of tree landscaping in Boise depends on:

• How many trees you want and how big they are when planted
• Whether the spot is easy to reach or the tree has to go through a side gate
• Soil prep and digging in heavy clay
• Drip or bubbler irrigation for each tree
• Beds, mulch and plants around the trees

Larger trees cost more and may need a machine to move. I give a price after a consultation.

Where I plant trees

I plant and landscape around trees in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Middleton, Kuna, Garden City, Hidden Springs, Sun Valley and Ketchum. Tree work is part of my landscaping services.

If you want shade where you need it or a healthier yard around the trees you have, let's plan it together. Schedule a consultation for tree landscaping in Boise, or call me at (541) 961-7269.