Howard's Basic Tree Planting Guide

[The Ent]

Here's the basic all-around tree planting plan that The Doctor of Dirt recommends. We will refer to this many times in discussion, so I'm planting it right here at the top where everyone can find it.

Tree planting

To plant any tree (shade, fruit, big, little, native or introduced) here's the plan. Dig a wide ugly hole - 3 to 4 times wider than the tree ball, especially at the soil surface. The width of the bottom of the hole isn't important. Rake the loose soil off the top of the root ball. The depth of the hole should be slightly less than the height of the ball. Measure - don't guess. It's much better to dig the hole a little to shallow rather than too deep. When you overrdig and put backfill under the ball, the tree can settle and drown. Backfill only with the soil from the hole - no bark, peat moss, no compost, no foreign soil, and no fertilizer. Settle the soil with water - don't tamp. Cover the disturbed area with a 1" layer of compost. Cover that with 3-5" of coarse mulch - shredded tree trimmings is my favorite choice. Don't wrap the trunk and don't stake the tree except under unusual circumstances.