About 180 million years ago, the ginkgo tree also grew in Europe, but it only survived the Cretaceous period in parts of China. It has now become a popular tree again for parks and Japanese gardens, but also as a house tree.
How to plant a ginkgo tree?
To plant a ginkgo tree, choose a partially shaded location for young plants and a sunny location for older trees. Dig a large planting hole and fill it with compost. Then plant your ginkgo, water it well and tie it to a tree stake if necessary.
The choice of location
The ginkgo tree grows quite slender and upright, but over the course of its long life it still develops a rather sprawling crown. Therefore it requires a relatively large amount of space. While a young ginkgo thrives best in partial shade, the adult tree prefers a sunny location.
There are male and female ginkgo trees, but only the female ones bear fruit. Since they smell quite unpleasant, you should not plant female ginkgo near your patio. Otherwise, the smell could ruin many a barbecue evening. A male tree is the better choice in this case.
Preparing the soil
The Ginkgo is quite adaptable and easy to care for; it can cope with almost any soil. However, if he had the choice, he would prefer a moderately dry to slightly moist humus-rich soil. It can be neutral to slightly acidic and gritty or clayey. In principle, the ginkgo is hardy, but only with age. A young ginkgo needs winter protection or frost-free overwintering.
The Planting
Be sure to dig a sufficiently large planting hole (diameter about one and a half times the root ball) so that the roots have enough space and are not snapped when planting. Mix the soil to be filled with a good portion of rotted compost (€12.00 on Amazon) or simply add the compost to the planting hole. This means your ginkgo will have enough fertilizer for the next few months.
The most important things in brief:
- best planting time: spring
- best location for young plants: partial shade
- Autumn planting is only recommended for robust older trees (at least 6 years old)
- Dig a sufficiently large planting hole
- fill with compost
- Water the ginkgo well
- If necessary, tie a small tree to a tree post, otherwise it will easily tip over in a storm
Tip
Tie your young ginkgo to one or more tree posts to prevent it from tipping over in a storm.
