How to Plant a Tree

One of the best times to plant a tree is in early Spring or Fall. In cool weather, a tree is diverting nutrients to root growth rather than leaf growth. During the summer, a young tree is more susceptible to heat stress.

Take the time to research the type of tree that will do best in your location and soil quality. A simple way is to drive your neighborhood and see what trees are planted and doing the best. For a great resource, look up your local county extension service for help picking the best tree for your area. They are very helpful.

When you have your tree, dig a saucer shaped hole about 4 or 5 times the width of the root ball on the tree. When you fill in this area with dirt, you are making it easy for new roots to spread out.

You want the depth of the hole to allow the root crown to be level with the surrounding soil. The root crown is where the main uppermost root breaks away from the trunk. In most cases, the top of the root ball should show the root crown. The root crown needs to breathe and be exposed.

Use the handle of a shovel or a tape measure against the root ball to guide you as you dig the depth of the hole. Once you have the depth of your hole, use the shovel to loosen up the dirt in the bottom of the hole and scratch up the sides of the hole. This will prevent the soil from being too compacted from shoveling.

Before you put the tree into the hole you want to take a knife and cut into the roots along the sides of the root ball about every 2 inches and about 1 inch deep into the root ball. This will free up any roots that have wound themselves around the root ball. You can also pull apart some of the outside roots by hand. This will help the roots expand out and establish a firm hold.

Once you have your tree in place and the root crown is level with the surrounding soil, you can start to back fill the dirt. Break up any clumps. Most experts now agree that you should just use the original soil for filling the hole. They have found that soil amendments can discourage the tree roots from spreading into the surrounding soil and can cause poor water drainage. Some fertilizers can kill young tree roots. The tag on your new tree may suggest peat moss and other amendments, but new research shows the best results from establishing the tree in native soil.

With the excess soil, you can create a small lip around the outside edge of the hole to help retain water for the first year. You can also use a thin coat of mulch to help regulate water evaporation and temperature. 2 inches of mulch is good for a young tree. Do not cover the root crown. You never want to pile mulch up against the trunk. This can cause the bark to rot, encourage disease and insect damage.

For the first two months, you should water your tree 1 to 2 gallons of water a day. After 2 months you can water twice a week for another 2 months, then once a week for the first year.

For an established tree, more than 2 years old, you want to give it 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter. You want to water it once every 2 to 4 weeks.  One deep watering is much healthier for a tree and produces strong deep roots. You want the soil to dry out between watering. The roots that lie close to the surface also absorb oxygen and need to breathe.

Follow these tips for growing a healthy new tree.