When to Plant
Moderate temperatures and moisture are important to freshly planted trees . It is important to plant at a time when the tree will have time to acclimate to the soil and to start growing roots in their new enviroment before being exposed to any extremes in weather. This makes the best ( not only) times to plant early springtime and mid autumn when most of the energy of the tree is directed towards root growth.
Dig the hole shallow and wide - A common mistake people make when planting is digging the hole too deep and not making the hole wide enough. It should not be deeper then the root ball of the tree, Iit should be two to three times the width of the container that the tree came in. A couple of inches of sand or loosely packed potting soil mixed into the bottom of the hole will help with drainage and make it easier for roots to start growing. It is also a good idea to score the sides of the hole for the same reason. If this step is not done, you may just be creating a ‘bowl’ that will hold water and your tree will slowly rot from the trapped moisture.
Carry the tree from the bottom - do not to pick it up by the trunk. Remove the tree from its container - put on its side and pull carefully. Try to gingerly loosen and spread roots before planting. If the roots are growing in circles at the bottom of the plant make some cuts at the bottom of the root ball in order to spread the roots out before it is planted. Bound up roots will prevent the tree from growing very quickly, if at all.
Plant at the correct depth - the "trunk flare" of the tree is where the roots start to expand away from the trunk of the tree. This should be visible when the tree is planted. It is much better to plant the tree a little high as opposed to a little low. The tree will settle over time.
Back fill around the roots - Adding compost/peatmoss/topsoil before putting the tree in the ground is good, just don"t get carried away with it. You want to pack the soil back in the hole just firmly enough to hold the tree in place. Getting oxygen to the roots will go a long way in helping the tree establish and grow quickly. If you plant the tree properly, you will have soil left over when you are Finished..
Staking - Wider and taller trees need to be staked after they are planted. Trees may also be staked where wind is an issue. Putting two stakes on opposite sides of the tree are usually sufficient. . Make sure stakes are driven into the ground in an area beyond the hole that was originally dug to plant the tree. Use wire looped (once only) around the tree and attached to the stake. A short section of hose - cut and used as a ‘sleeve’ for the wire - can be placed between the wire and the tree. It keep the wire from digging into the tree and causing damage.. there should be enough tension on the wire to keep it firm but not overly tight. Staking the tree prevents the root ball from moving and disrupting new root growth
Mulching - A layer of mulch around the tree will help hold in moisture, but leave a couple of inches around the base of the trunk mulch free. Landscape edging or a thicker "dam" of mulch around the outside edge will halp direct rainfall in the right direction
Moderate temperatures and moisture are important to freshly planted trees . It is important to plant at a time when the tree will have time to acclimate to the soil and to start growing roots in their new enviroment before being exposed to any extremes in weather. This makes the best ( not only) times to plant early springtime and mid autumn when most of the energy of the tree is directed towards root growth.
Dig the hole shallow and wide - A common mistake people make when planting is digging the hole too deep and not making the hole wide enough. It should not be deeper then the root ball of the tree, Iit should be two to three times the width of the container that the tree came in. A couple of inches of sand or loosely packed potting soil mixed into the bottom of the hole will help with drainage and make it easier for roots to start growing. It is also a good idea to score the sides of the hole for the same reason. If this step is not done, you may just be creating a ‘bowl’ that will hold water and your tree will slowly rot from the trapped moisture.
Carry the tree from the bottom - do not to pick it up by the trunk. Remove the tree from its container - put on its side and pull carefully. Try to gingerly loosen and spread roots before planting. If the roots are growing in circles at the bottom of the plant make some cuts at the bottom of the root ball in order to spread the roots out before it is planted. Bound up roots will prevent the tree from growing very quickly, if at all.
Plant at the correct depth - the "trunk flare" of the tree is where the roots start to expand away from the trunk of the tree. This should be visible when the tree is planted. It is much better to plant the tree a little high as opposed to a little low. The tree will settle over time.
Back fill around the roots - Adding compost/peatmoss/topsoil before putting the tree in the ground is good, just don"t get carried away with it. You want to pack the soil back in the hole just firmly enough to hold the tree in place. Getting oxygen to the roots will go a long way in helping the tree establish and grow quickly. If you plant the tree properly, you will have soil left over when you are Finished..
Staking - Wider and taller trees need to be staked after they are planted. Trees may also be staked where wind is an issue. Putting two stakes on opposite sides of the tree are usually sufficient. . Make sure stakes are driven into the ground in an area beyond the hole that was originally dug to plant the tree. Use wire looped (once only) around the tree and attached to the stake. A short section of hose - cut and used as a ‘sleeve’ for the wire - can be placed between the wire and the tree. It keep the wire from digging into the tree and causing damage.. there should be enough tension on the wire to keep it firm but not overly tight. Staking the tree prevents the root ball from moving and disrupting new root growth
Mulching - A layer of mulch around the tree will help hold in moisture, but leave a couple of inches around the base of the trunk mulch free. Landscape edging or a thicker "dam" of mulch around the outside edge will halp direct rainfall in the right direction
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