How to Plant Redbud Tree in Your Garden

Redbud is a plant that refers to the reddish flower buds originating from eastern North America. This plant is also known to be a large deciduous shrub or small tree. On the tree’s bare branches, the flowers and fruits appear and bees usually pollinate the flowers. If you are interested in growing this type of plant in your garden, the following planting guide can be considered.

Learn about the Different Varieties
Planting redbuds without plans might give you no luck. It is always better to learn many different varieties of redbuds first. You might want to grow lavender twist redbuds because of its various pink flowers. Moreover, you can choose the bright rosy-red flowers named Appalachian red redbuds.
As another option, you might like flame thrower redbuds with their red foliage and pink flowers. Both colors are known to be able to fade to green and yellow. If you want pink flowers turning into wine-red foliage later, merlot redbuds are perfect to plant.
The last outstanding type of redbuds is Oklahoma redbuds. You can grow the tree to have pink flowers with glossy green leaves. And after knowing the varieties, you can decide which varieties suit your preference most.
Find the Best Place to Plant
If you want to plant redbuds, make sure you already have the perfect site to grow them. You need to prepare a large place because the trees are considered moderate growers. The plant can reach around 10-20 feet by 25 feet wide in 5-6 six years. So, make sure the place you use has enough room for the branches to spread out.
The Redbud tree planting guide also recommends you to find a place with full sun or partial shade. To bloom optimally, you need to let the plant get full sunlight in 6-8 hours per day. Considering the best site to plant redbuds also means you need to prepare the best soil type.
Redbuds are luckily able to thrive and bloom on any soil type. But if you want the trees to grow excellently, prefer loamy and well-drained soil. You can also choose soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline with 6.5 to 8.0 for its pH.
Consider the Climate
Redbuds are mostly adaptable and they will survive well in most climates. However, planting them in early spring is the most ideal time. You can avoid the danger of frost that might damage your newly planted bare-root redbuds.
If you want to plant the saplings, the flexibility is higher. That is why it is better to plant it in the spring or fall season. Meanwhile, for the right temperature, most redbuds need to be in a temperature range of 10 to 35 degrees Celsius.
Water, Fertilize, and Prune the Tree
You should water the tree deeply but infrequently for the first few years. However, you need to do it more regularly if drought season approaches. Adding 2-3 inches deep layers of mulch around the base is also needed to avoid weeds and retain moisture.
Fertilizing and pruning are not necessary for redbuds, but you can still use manure or compost to fertilize. Even if pruning is less required, you can still check your plant regularly. When you find broken, diseased, or dead branches, trim them away immediately.

Redbud tree only lives up to 30 years because of its short lifespan. Ask arborists for some help if you find any problems with your plant. They will help you obtain a proper diagnosis and treat the plant properly.