How to Plant a Tree

1. Unpack your tree and soak it in water for 6-12 hours before planting.  (Make certain to remove all packing material before soaking.)
 
2. Dig a hole deeper and wider than the tree roots.  -- Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole and add amendments, if desired.  To add organic material, peat moss or composted mulch  will work well.  You may also add a small amount of fertilizer at this time.  Check fertilizer application instructions for amount to apply.  Be sure to work fertilizer into soil, so it will not come into direct contact with tree roots.
 
3. Fill the hole with water and allow it to drain completely before planting the tree.  (This is the fastest and easier way to make certain that there is plenty of water available to the newly planted tree.)
 
4. Spread out the tree roots, teasing them apart if they are entangled or if they have grown around the pot. 
 
5. Place the tree in the hole, adding soil underneath the tree roots until the tree is at the same depth as it was when planted at the nursery or in the pot.
 
6. Partially fill the hole with soil. Pack soil to remove any air pockets. After enough soil has been placed around the tree roots to stabilize the tree, gently water the tree once again, filling to the top of the hole and allowing it to drain away.  (This will help ensure that no air pockets are in the root zone; and, of course, it will ensure that the tree is getting plenty of water to help it become established.)
 
7. Finish filling the hole with soil, building the soil up around the outer edges of the hole to create a basin.  (This will prevent run-off and make it easier to keep water in the root zone when watering the young tree.)
 
8. Mulch.  (Bark chips, pinestraw, or other mulching material will help keep moisture in and will help prevent weeds and grasses from growing close to the tree.)
 
9. Water daily for the first month, and weekly for the first year after planting.
 
10. Fertilize the new tree after growth begins the spring following planting.
     
     
     
     
     

There is a story about a particular nurseryman who had a special formula that he gave to every customer who bought a tree from him.

Everyone was amazed at how well the formula worked.  It was a fact that almost no one who used the formula as directed ever lost a tree purchased from this nursery.

There came the day when the nurseryman's grandson decided to join his grandfather in his very successful business.  So, the nurseryman explained the secret formula to his grandson. 

"I give each customer who purchases a tree a little bottle of blue liquid.  I tell them to put one drop of this special formula into a gallon or two of water each day for the first month and twice a week for the first year and pour it around the newly planted tree."

"The blue liquid is only food coloring," the grandfather explained.  "So it is not the blue liquid that keeps the tree alive.  It is the water.  But I've found that customers don't take me very seriously when I tell them to water every day for the first month and twice a week for the first year.  So I give them my special formula.  They believe in that."

Immediate Tree Care:

If you are unable to plant your trees right away, store them in a cool place.  Container grown trees should be kept watered so that they do not dry out.  Bare root trees should also be watered to make certain that packing material around the roots stays moist.

Where to Plant:

Read the description of your new tree.  Pay attention to how tall it becomes at maturity, what type of root system it has, and whether it likes full sun or partial shade--as dogwoods and other understory trees prefer.

Avoid planting under utility lines.
Avoid planting too close to a building.
If roots are wide-spreading or invasive, be
careful about planting near water or septic lines.

Mulch:

Mulch will help prevent drying out of tree roots.  For best results, mulch tree all the way out to the dripline--the area on the ground corresponding to the outer tips of the tree limbs.  Feeder roots usually grow very close to the ground surface.

Mulch has the following benefits:

• Moisture retention
• Control of weeds and grasses
• Protection of the tree trunk from mowers
• Erosion control
• Simplified maintenance
• Reduction of soil compaction

Add beauty and value to your home:
Plant a tree.