Planting, caring for, pruning and more

Plant the handkerchief tree properly

In order for the pigeon tree to become an eye-catching highlight in the garden, you can direct the growth in the right direction with proper planting. Choose a sunny location with nutrient-rich, fresh, moist soil. The optimal planting date is a mild, dry day in autumn with overcast weather. While you are preparing the bedding soil, the root ball is soaked in soft water until no more air bubbles rise. This is how the planting proceeds according to all the rules of gardening:

• The planting pit has 1.5 times the volume of the root ball
• The excavation in a wheelbarrow shovel and mix there with compost and horn shavings
• Drive a support post into the planting hole
• Place the young pigeon tree in the pit and plant it up to the root neck
• Carry out a pruning of 20-30 percent on bale and bare-root goods

Step on the substrate and pour the Handkerchief tree with collected rainwater or decalcified tap water. Finally, connect the trunk to the support pole and spread a layer of mulch.

Care tips

On the day of planting, the care program for the pigeon tree starts, because a regular water supply is essential for healthy growth. In a rainy autumn, however, watering must not get out of hand, because waterlogging is absolutely fatal for a young handkerchief tree. Before the first frost sets in, cover them Tree grate thick with foliage and envelop the crown and trunk Garden fleece or jute ribbons. If winter is dry and cold, water the tree on mild days. In April, the normal care protocol begins with the removal of the winter protection:

• Keep the tissue tree slightly moist at all times
• In April and July with Slow release fertilizer supply
• Alternatively, fertilize organically every 3-4 weeks until August
• Cut back only if necessary in February / March, taking into account the buds that have already been created

Repeat the winter protection measures in the first 10 years, as a pigeon tree must first work out its frost resistance. Later, the precautions are reduced to leaning wooden boards against the trunk so that the intense winter sun cannot damage the sensitive bark.

Which location is suitable?

The pigeon tree finds the ideal feel-good atmosphere in front of the sunny to partially shaded location, sheltered from the wind and framed by other trees. Since the roots react sensitively to disturbances, we recommend a place within lawns and not necessarily in the rather restless environment of a bed. In addition, the proximity to garden paths should be avoided due to the soil compaction that prevails there.

The correct planting distance

Since a pigeon tree in the Central European climate reaches a stature height of 2 to 5 meters and its maximum height of 10 meters at the earliest after 50 years, it is considered a small tree. If you measure the expected tree height as the minimum distance to the house, you are exactly right. In the neighborhood law, the planting distance to the neighboring property is precisely defined, but varies in the federal states. As a rule of thumb, a tree with a height of more than 2 meters should be planted at a distance of at least 2 meters from the neighbor. The responsible regulatory office will inform you of the exact value for your region.

What soil does the plant need?

So that you can enjoy the sensational splendor of flowers as quickly as possible, the soil composition should be selected as follows:

• Nutrient-rich, humus and above all constantly slightly moist
• Well-drained, without the risk of waterlogging

Check the soil reaction in advance, because a weakly acidic to minimally alkaline pH value is very beneficial to the pigeon tree.

What is the best time to plant?

With a planting time in autumn you give the pigeon tree perfect starting conditions in the bed. Since the soil is deeply warmed by the sun at this time of year, the sensitive roots can establish themselves excellently until winter knocks on the garden gate. Alternatively, early spring is ideal for planting, so that the handkerchief tree has enough time to take root before winter.

When is the flowering time?

The pigeon tree presents the first handkerchief blossom after an average of 8 years. From April to June / July the white petals that give the tree its name unfold. With a targeted supply of nutrients, you can influence the flowering time. Fertilize It is predominantly nitrogen-accentuated, the ornamental wood concentrates on height and foliage growth. If you focus on a phosphorus-stressed fertilizer from July onwards, the focus will be on the formation of buds.

Cut the handkerchief tree correctly

The pigeon tree does not require annual pruning, as it naturally develops a beautiful habit and increases in size very slowly. If you still want a shape and preservation cut, proceed as follows:

• Cut off shoots that are too long on a frost-free day in February
• Hold the scissors at a slight slant 2-3 mm above one facing outwards eye apply
• Cut deadwood and stunted branches at the base

Please note with every cut that a pigeon tree already sets its buds in the previous year. If you cut too deep into the branches, you will deprive yourself of the hoped-for flowering spectacle in the worst case in spring.

Watering the handkerchief tree

Water a pigeon tree regularly when the natural amount of rain is insufficient. The very sensitive tree cannot cope with drought stress any more than waterlogging. Check the soil in the bucket every few days to water as soon as the top 3-4 cm has dried. Use alternating soft rainwater and normal tap water to effectively prevent excess limescale in the soil.

Fertilize the tissue tree properly

With regard to the supply of nutrients, a pigeon tree is frugal and undemanding. How to properly handle this care topic:

• One in April and July Complete fertilizer administer
• Alternatively, from April onwards, work in compost with horn shavings on the surface every 3-4 weeks
• Apply a liquid fertilizer in the bucket or use chopsticks or Fertilize cones

From August onwards, a handkerchief tree should no longer be fertilized so that its shoots can mature well before the first frost.

Overwinter

A pigeon tree has to develop its winter hardiness over the years. It is only at an advanced age that it can cope with frost down to -15 degrees Celsius. As a result, the tree depends on your support to get through the cold season in good health. How to protect the gem in the bed from damage:

• Pile up the tree slice thickly with autumn leaves and coniferous twigs
• Cover the crown with fleece or a shading net
• Protect the trunk from the winter sun with jute tapes, in later years with wooden boards
• Remove the winter protection again by mid-April at the latest

Keep watering the pigeon tree in winter if there is no rain or snow. If there is damage, it is much more likely to result from drought stress than from frost.

How do I transplant properly?

A pigeon tree is true to its location and can hardly come to terms with disturbances. Transplanting is therefore rarely crowned with success. If a change of location is unavoidable, it should be carried out within the first five years with a preparation time of 1 year. This is how you do it:

• In autumn the roots in the largest possible radius with the spade cut off
• Dig a small trench 10-15 cm wide around the root ball
• Fill this trench with a mix of garden soil, compost and foliage soil
• Water regularly until next autumn so that numerous fine roots develop

In the following autumn, you lift the pigeon tree out of the ground in order to plant it in the new location.

Handkerchief tree in the pot

A pigeon tree needs much more extensive support in a large pot than in a bed. Only choose this form of cultivation if you already have many years of experience as a hobby gardener. Use a high-quality compost-based potted plant soil as a substrate, optimized with Lava granules or expanded clay. Add a drainage made of potsherds over the water drain to protect against waterlogging. This is how the care is carried out properly:

• Keep pigeon tree evenly moist without causing waterlogging
• Water alternately with soft rainwater and tap water
• In April fertilize with nitrogen and in July with phosphorus
• Repot into a larger bucket and fresh substrate every 2-3 years

Since there is always the risk of the root ball in the pot freezing through in winter, you cannot avoid taking adequate precautions. Before the first frost, wrap the bucket with bubble wrap and cover the substrate with leaves, wood wool or straw. Slide a block of wood under the pot so that the cold does not attack from below. The crown has a hood made of breathable fleece or jute ribbons. Protect the trunk from intense winter sun with bast or reed mats.

Is handkerchief tree poisonous?

The pigeon tree is perfect as a house tree for a family with children and pets. There are no toxic components in its leaves, flowers or fruits.

How do you grow from seeds?

the sowing from the seeds of a handkerchief tree requires a fair amount of patience and skill. In the wild, the hard-shelled seeds take up to 18 months before they decide to germinate. If you don't want to wait that long, use the horticultural trick of stratification. This is how it works:

• Fill a small plastic box with slightly damp sand and place the seeds in it
• Store in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 4-8 weeks
• Then use small pots Potting soil fill and insert one seed at a time 1 cm deep

Keep constantly moist in the partially shaded window seat at 18-20 degrees Celsius until the germ layers show. Then place a little cooler, continue to water regularly and fertilize every 4 weeks with highly diluted liquid fertilizer.

Trivia

The laborious search for the handkerchief tree resulted in the discovery of the kiwi in the first step. After the English plant hunter found Ernest Henry Wilson disappointed after his arrival in China in 1899 When the first pigeon tree discovered 35 years earlier had to be felled, he went in search of more Copies. Before he struck gold in Hubei Province in May 1900, he discovered an unusual climbing plant with delicious fruits, known today as kiwi.