How to Plant Hybrid Poplar Trees
If you are looking for a tree that offers shade and beauty quickly, consider the hybrid poplar tree. One of the fastest-growing trees you can grow, and known to grow 6 to 8 feet per year, the hybrid poplar will eventually reach 40 to 50 feet in height with a 30-foot spread. The hybrid poplar tree is hardy to USDA zones 3 through 9. Plant your tree six weeks prior to the first frost, in an area that receives full sun.
Remove all weeds and turf from within a 3-foot radius of the planting site. Hand-pull the weeds or use a hoe to dig them up. Keep this area free of all vegetation as the tree becomes established.
- If you are looking for a tree that offers shade and beauty quickly, consider the hybrid poplar tree.
- Keep this area free of all vegetation as the tree becomes established.
Til the planting site until the soil is loosened to a depth of 12 inches. Add a 3-inch layer of sand and til it to a depth of 8 inches.
Dig a hole twice the depth and three times the width of the hybrid poplar’s rootball. Place the roots on the bottom of the hole and pour a shovel-full of soil over them. Use your fingers to gently work the soil around and between the roots.
Backfill the hole, halfway, with soil. Fill the hole with water, allow it to drain and finish filling the hole with soil. Use your feet to lightly pack the soil around the base of the hybrid poplar to remove any air pockets that may remain.
- Til the planting site until the soil is loosened to a depth of 12 inches.
- Place the roots on the bottom of the hole and pour a shovel-full of soil over them.
Water the hybrid poplar until the water puddles at the base of the tree.
Place a 3-inch layer of mulch, 2 inches away from the hybrid poplar, but completely surrounding it. Spread the mulch over the weed-free area. Mulch will help insulate the roots from temperature extremes and also discourage weed growth.
Propagating Hybrid Poplar Trees With Hardwood Cuttings
Gather a 5- to 8-inch-long cutting from the tip of a hybrid poplar side branch. Scrape off a 1/4-inch-long sliver of bark from the severed end using a utility knife. Pour equal measurements of perlite and coarse sand in a bucket. Pour the perlite and sand mixture into a 10-inch nursery container, leaving the top inch empty. Run water into the container until the mixture is completely saturated. Let it drain for 30 minutes. Apply a very thin layer of 0.1-percent IBA (indolebutyric acid) rooting hormone to the severed end using a cotton swab and lightly tap the stem to knock loose the excess. Leave the hybrid poplar cutting in its rooting pot until spring. Space multiple trees at least 40 feet apart.
- Water the hybrid poplar until the water puddles at the base of the tree.
- Pour the perlite and sand mixture into a 10-inch nursery container, leaving the top inch empty.
Related Articles
References
- Michigan State University Extension: Grow Your Own Firewood In Ten Years Or Less
- Arbor Day Foundation: Poplar, Hybrid
- North Dakota State University: Hybrid Poplar
- ?“?The Gardener’s Guide to Planting and Growing Trees?;” ?Michael Buffin?; ?2007
- USDA Forest Service; North American Silvics Manual; Poplar Hybrids
- California Polytechnic State University; Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute; Carolina Poplar
- California Polytechnic State University; Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute; Bolleana Poplar
- North Carolina State University; Horticulture Leaflet Information; Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings--Instructions for the Home Gardener
Writer Bio
Based in the American Southwest, Bridget Kelly has been writing about gardening and real estate since 2005. Her articles have appeared at Trulia.com, SFGate.com, GardenGuides.com, RE/MAX.com, MarketLeader.com, RealEstate.com, USAToday.com and in "Chicago Agent" magazine, to name a few. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing.
