Douglas Fir Tree Care Tips On Planting A Douglas Fir Tree

You'll need to water between one and four times each month, depending on rainfall and how the soil holds water. You'll do best planting a Douglas fir tree in a shady area. Either part shade or full shade will work fine. And be certain that the soil is deep, moist and well drained.

1. How far apart do you plant Douglas fir trees?
2. How do you plant a fir tree?
3. Where does Douglas fir grow best?
4. How fast does Douglas fir grow?
5. How deep are Douglas fir tree roots?
6. What animal eats Douglas fir?
7. How can I make my fir tree grow faster?
8. How do you keep fir trees healthy?
9. How fast do Fraser fir trees grow?
10. How much water do fir trees need?
11. Why is Douglas fir not a true fir?
12. How often should I water my Douglas fir Christmas tree?
13. What is the best finish for Douglas fir?
14. How much are Douglas fir trees worth?
15. How do you prune a Douglas fir tree?
16. How far do fir tree roots spread?
17. Are Douglas fir trees fire resistant?
18. How can you tell a Douglas fir?
19. Will deer eat Douglas fir?
20. How old is my Douglas fir?

How far apart do you plant Douglas fir trees?

For Douglas Firs to touch and make a solid screen, plant them 12 to 15 feet apart. For the trees to stand alone as individual trees, give them at least 18 feet apart. For the most natural look, try to vary the distances between them, and don't plant them in a straight line.

How do you plant a fir tree?

The optimal time to plant a fir tree is when it is dormant, in late autumn or winter. Before planting, thoroughly soak both the root ball and the soil in the hole you have dug. To help a fir tree get established in the garden, irrigate it with a soaker hose weekly, for an hour or more.

Where does Douglas fir grow best?

Douglas-fir grows best on well-drained deep soils and will not thrive on poorly drained or compacted soils. Along the coast it is mostly found where marine sandstones and shales have weathered deeply to fine-textured, well drained soils. Douglas-fir is found on a wide variety of soils in the Sierra Nevada.

How fast does Douglas fir grow?

Tall, Taller, Tallest

In your yard, a Douglas fir will only grow 40 to 60 feet tall. Experts at Cal Poly estimate the growth rate of Douglas fir at 24 inches a year, but this also depends on its growing conditions.

How deep are Douglas fir tree roots?

The depth of the root system is related to the soil structure and texture. In areas that receive abundant rainfall, the roots may burrow 60 to 100 cm into the earth, with some progressing even deeper. On well-drained soils, the lateral roots may reach up to 1 meter beyond the crown.

What animal eats Douglas fir?

Squirrels, chipmunks, siskins and crossbills are among the many species that eat seeds from the cones. A squirrel feeds on the seeds of a Douglas fir cone by peeling off each scale, discarding the scale and removing the seed.

How can I make my fir tree grow faster?

Sprinkle a fertilizer around the base of the tree. Use a 10-8-6 quick-release formulation during April, May, June or early July. Between July 15 and October 15, choose a slow-release 10-8-6 fertilizer instead, so that you do not encourage too much growth before winter.

How do you keep fir trees healthy?

Spread a thick layer of mulch under the pine tree in the spring, which reduces weed growth. Weeds compete for soil nutrients and moisture. Use organic mulch like pine bark or needles under the tree canopy. When mulch decomposes, it enriches the soil with slow-release nutrients.

How fast do Fraser fir trees grow?

Fraser fir: The Southern-favorite Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) tree has an average growth period of about 7 years.

How much water do fir trees need?

1 Water evergreen trees regularly during the first year after planting. Give the tree 1 to 3 inches of water every week, unless moisture comes in the form of rainfall. Watering deeply once or twice weekly is better than more frequent, shallow irrigation, as deep watering will develop long, healthy roots.

Why is Douglas fir not a true fir?

It has, at various times, been called a pine, a spruce, a hemlock, and a true fir. In 1867, because of its distinctive cones, it was given its own genus--Pseudotsuga--which means false hemlock. The hyphen in the common name lets us know that Douglas-fir is not a "true" fir--that it's not a member of the Abies genus.

How often should I water my Douglas fir Christmas tree?

"You should really be watering your tree daily," says O'Connor. "Especially during the first seven to ten days, which is when they take up the most water." For a standard size tree with a trunk diameter in the five-inch range, you'll want to maintain at least five quarts of water in your stand each day.

What is the best finish for Douglas fir?

It's typically recommended for furniture. Two other popular finishes are polyurethane and spar urethane. Both are clear surface finishes, but spar urethane is recommended for wood in climates with extreme temperature changes.

How much are Douglas fir trees worth?

How do you prune a Douglas fir tree?

Pruning method for fir, Douglas fir, and spruce

To control height, prune the leader while the trees are dormant. These conifers form buds along their stems, so make a cut half an inch or so above a bud. The topmost bud will become the new leader. This cut will also stimulate outward growth of the buds below.

How far do fir tree roots spread?

Tree roots can extend as far as two or three times the width of the drip line, or the farthest point from the tree where foliage grows. Pine trees are not known for having invasive root systems but if the soil is dry roots will go where the water is. Most roots grow within the top foot (30 cm) of the surface.

Are Douglas fir trees fire resistant?

Mature Douglas-fir is very fire resistant. ... Seedlings, saplings, and pole-sized Douglas-fir trees are easily killed by surface fires because of thin bark, low branches, flammable needles and small buds (Smith and Fischer 1997).

How can you tell a Douglas fir?

On large trees, you can usually identify a Douglas fir by the bark alone. The thick bark is deeply furrowed, more than any other tree in the region. The color is gray to brown and usually brown at the bottom of the furrows.

Will deer eat Douglas fir?

This sort of benefit is called an “ecosystem service.” Deer and elk generally prefer to eat broadleaf and herbaceous vegetation but will eat Douglas-fir seedlings if they're reachable.

How old is my Douglas fir?

Here's how to estimate the age of a Douglas Fir by measuring the tree's circumference: Locate the spot on the trunk that is 4.5 to 5 feet above the ground. If the ground is sloped, find a middle point in the slope. Measure the circumference of the tree at that height in inches.