How to plant a tree

How to plant a tree

You might think planting a tree is pretty self explanatory. Well, for the most part, it is. But there are a few steps you should take to make sure that it's done correctly and to make sure your tree will thrive after planting.

1. Digging

• You will want your hole so that the rootball is 2/3 the size of the hole. (ie: if the rootball is 20 inches wide, make sure your hole is 30) This will give the rootball a nice barrier between it's own soil and the soil it's about to go into. Make sure the hole is deep enough for the rootball PLUS a few inches. This will be explained in the next step.
• Height: you will want the ground level of the hole to match up with the trunk where it flares out and forms roots. An easy way to do this is to measure your rootball, bottom to flare, and lay your shovel across the hole so you can see exactly where the flare needs to be. burying the flare too low can cause all sorts of problems, mostly root rot which can damage the tree, sometimes severely.
• Once the digging is complete, raise the bottom of the hole a few inches in the shape of a mound. This will give the rootball a little pedestal to sit on. The reason this is important is because of watering issues. If you dig a typical hole thats lowest point is in the center, then you drop your tree in the hole, excess water will gather right at that point and could drown the tree. So this mound is meant to create almost a moat-like protection from flooding.
• If you have tough, packed dirt or clay, scoring the sides of the hole with a rake, shovel, or just your hands will help the tree adjust from its current soil to it's new soil. With highly compacted ground, the roots may try to keep growing in the soil it came in because they can't penetrate the ground. This scoring gives them a nice transition into their future dirt.

    2. Prepping the tree

• Depending on the size of the tree, these instructions will tell you what steps you will need to take before planting
• Large trees usually come wrapped in a burlap sack, which is pretty simple to remove. YOU MUST have the hole dug and ready before you unwrap the tree. Exposing roots to sunlight and wind for too long can cause the roots to girdle, dry out, and sometimes die completely. So, the faster you get it in the ground after unwrapping, the better. 
• Small trees can come wrapped, but mostly will come in a pot. Same deal as above, but its easier with smaller trees. most of them you can just tip right out of their pot and put directly into the hole.
• Once the tree is out of its bag/pot, set it immediately into the hole and give it some water. About a gallon for every foot of height.

     3. Planting the tree

• So far we've dug the hole, scored the sides, built up a little pedestal, and set the rootball right in the center of it. Now you need to start packing in the topsoil you dug up. You want to avoid any weeds, turf, or any other object that isn't plain old dirt. When filling the rest of the hole with dirt, try to keep it somewhat loose. Packing it in hard can choke off the tree or make it hard for the roots to extend. After you get the dirt in, give it another good watering. 

     4. Just about done!

• Some things to remember:
• Mulch/compost can benefit your new tree in many ways. The obvious reasons being that it helps keep a more constant moisture level and prevents weed growth. Some not so obvious ones: mulch will also make it unnecessary to weed whack around the tree, which is important because those little knicks you put in the trunk can harm the tree more than you think. The mulch will also help airflow in the ground. without grass or weeds growing, the soil can stay somewhat loose. This will help the tree by allowing more nutrients to stay in the soil around the tree.
• Staking: Newly planted trees DO NOT always need to be staked. Unless you have wind or soil erosion issues, odds are you won't need to stake it. Any more questions about staking, please read my last article

And last but not least, enjoy watching your new tree thrive!

pictures courtesy of:

duaemanus.blogspot.com/2009/04/planting-fruit-trees.html

dnr.state.oh.us/Home/education/howtoplant/tabid/5114/Default.aspx