Welcome! We are so excited that you are planting a tree to help provide shade, beauty, fruit, and many other benefits to your home and community.
The first step to planting a tree is to choose the right tree and the right place. You will want to take into account the tree’s size as it grows, the amount of light and water it will need, and the type of soil you have (you can always amend the soil as needed). Native trees are adapted to your environment and are a great choice!
Before digging, be sure to call your utility service to check for any underground utilities, so you do not dig into trouble.
Once you have identified the best tree and ensured the planting location is safe from underground utilities, you will want to dig your hole as deep as the root ball and about two to three times as wide. We recommend digging the hole into a bowl shape with a wider top and narrower base to allow the tree’s roots to grow into the soil around the tree.
Most trees’ roots will grow to only an average of 18″ to 30″ deep, but can grow up to three times the width of the tree’s crown.
The root flare is where the trunk begins to spread out into roots. This should be at or just above the ground. If you find you’ve dug too deeply, you can add soil back into the hole before planting. We use a shovel handle to estimate the depth before and during digging. Then, once we place the tree in the hole, we lay the shovel across the hole to check that the root flare is above the soil line.
If your tree came in a pot, remove the tree from the pot and cut through any roots that have wrapped around the root ball. These will eventually cause the roots to strangle the tree and are best dealt with before planting to ensure your tree grows healthy and strong.
If your root ball is wrapped in burlap, remove all the burlap by carefully cutting it down and pulling it away from the root ball. Again, check for any root binding and cut through the roots to give them a good start in their new home.
Once you have the tree in the ground, take a step back to see whether it is straight before filling the soil back in. Then you will mulch around the tree, while ensuring the root flare is still exposed. Your mulch should be about 3 feet out of the tree in all directions and about 3 inches deep. This will ensure the tree and roots are protected and able to retain moisture. The mulch is also a nice reminder to keep lawn mowers and other equipment away from the tree.
Now it is time to water your tree well. You will want to water daily for about 2 weeks and then water weekly until the tree is well established, based on the amount of rain in your area.
Depending on the size of your tree, you may want to stake the tree for support and also protect the trunk with a wire mesh cage or other barrier to protect the trunk from deer and other wildlife.
We’ve included a tree planting guide below, as well as “How to Plant” video from our friends at Casey Trees, a wonderful non-profit in Washington DC.
