As trees develop and grow, the memories of the people who opened
the soil and covered the
roots grow, too. Tree planting is a life-affirming process.

For all the joy and great expectations that go into planting a
tree, though, there can also be
some concerns. Many new trees never survive to their first
planting-date anniversary. Others
barely hang on for years, struggling to survive.

Many tree problems start at planting time. A little care up
front will allow a tree to survive,
grow and thrive.

One of the best insurance policies for successful tree planting
is planning. How much space is
available, both above and below the soil surface, for a tree to
grow into? What kind of soil
limitations are there?

Planning for biological success includes site and species
selection, tree placement, soil
preparation, hole excavation, proper backfilling and
conscientious ongoing care.

Assuming you have bought a great tree and have a site where few
things will limit its growth,
how do you plant it?

First, if the site has no other trees already and no tree roots
in the soil, rototill and subsoil to
fracture and break up the soil and any impervious layers. Till
an area at least five times as big
as the critical root area for the tree. This will help with tree
root establishment and general soil
health.

If tree roots are present, don’t till the site. Determine if
soil changes are required. If you need
them, use core aeration, vertical mulching or radial or X
trenches backfilled with coarse,
noncompactable materials and organic matter. Better drainage and
more oxygen are the
primary goals. Good root-growth pores are a secondary concern.

Next, dig a shallow, saucer-shaped hole in the middle of the
prepared area. Dig the saucer
bottom only as deep as 90 percent of the root ball (10 percent
is aboveground).

Remove wire, burlap, cloth, baskets, straps and strings. If the
root ball is too large to lift, or
the soil will all fall away, put the tree in the saucer and lay
the binding materials in the
bottom.

Use your hands to examine root quality by pulling or raking soil
away from the outer
one-quarter of the root ball radius. Consider cleanly cutting
roots in girdling or circling
positions.

Backfill with whatever soil came out of the hole. Tap, don’t
tamp, the soil into the hole. Once
the hole is filled, water it to settle the soil and establish
water connections between the soil and
the tree. Always start watering over the top of the root ball.

A thin layer of organic mulch can be lightly placed over the
critical root area and beyond.

You don’t need to stake a properly specified tree, although
trees on steep hillsides and the
corners of big buildings may need temporary staking. If that’s
the case, use two stakes and
loose, flexible bands to lightly hold the tree. Don’t use wire,
regardless of what it’s covered
with.

Don’t prune the tree, and don’t apply a fast-release or medium-
or high-nitrogen fertilizer for
at least one full growing season.

Prevent any mechanical damage to the tree, especially the stem
base and the main branches.

Planting a tree is a great family or community activity. People
getting together to start new
trees is an investment in future generations. Be sure your tree
outlives you — plant it correctly.