How to Plant a Tree Properly

total beauty and value to your house with these BHG Test Garden tips on how to plant a tree .

How to Time Your Tree Planting

To get your unexampled tree off to a beneficial beginning , you ’ll necessitate to labour the right size fix . But before you break out the shovelful , you ’ll want to pinpoint the best time to start grind . Fall is often considered the skillful clip to plant a tree . That ’s because hot summer temperature can stress new plants — specially if they do n’t get much rainfall . Plant in autumn to give your tree extra metre to instal itself before warm conditions arrives again the following year . Over the winter , your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree will pore on strong root emergence alternatively of bring out offshoot and leaf .

That aver , if your area isknown for abrasive , early winters , there ’s economic value in wait until saltation — specially with some bloom deciduous tree likemagnolia , flowering cerise , anddogwood . That ’s because if you constitute in the fall and the ground freeze before your untried tree can take root , your tree may not survive the quiver . plant life in spring to avoid the threat of former freeze , just be prepared to irrigate often because your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree will spend DOE maturate both roots and leaves .

How to Dig a Hole for a Tree

First , prepare a jam two to three time as extensive as the ascendant ball of your tree . Dig down to about the profundity of the antecedent bollock so that when it ’s resting on the bottom of the hole , the tree is at the same level with the ground as it was in its container . wield the root word egg cautiously to keep it intact while you place it in the hole . Once it ’s in , turn it so the expert side of the tree is face the direction you need . Withburlapped root balls , hack the twine and remove the gunny ( or at least crowd it to the bottom of the hole ) .

implant small trees ( that reach 30 feet tall or less ) at least 10 feet from your home ’s foundation and service program lines . Plant large trees ( 30 to 70 feet magniloquent ) at least 15 foot from foundations and line ; give 70 - understructure Tree 20 foot of length .

Backfill Soil into the Hole

After your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is set , backfill the gob around the theme with your displace soil . Pack it evenly around the ascendant lump and lightly tamp down down the grime as you go . As you operate , oft check the luggage compartment to ensure that it ’s straight . Use any leftover filth as a berm to create a lachrymation well .

You may have hear that you shouldamend backfill with organic matterlike compost , but this is an erstwhile practice . Several survey have shownthat it create small welfare ( as long as the existing ground is of sane timber ) , so many experts no longer recommend it . Similarly , fertiliser does n’t offer many benefits at planting time , and can even be harmful . hold back until the following year , then furnish amoderate dot of fertilizer . The most authoritative factor , by far , is at large soil that newfangled root word can easy grow into . That ’s why a broad planting kettle of fish is so vital .

Install Tree Stakes

If your tree is exposed to high malarkey or is plant in a gamy - dealings area , you may postulate to impale the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to stabilize it . Most untried trees do n’t require staking , but if yours does , push back the stake into the ground underneath and through the root ball . The interest should be draw loosely to the trunk . Do n’t flog it so tight that the tree trunk ca n’t deform in the wind . Large tree may need two or three stakes placed several metrical unit from the trunk . After six months , the roots should be stable enough to carry your tree in place . If so , remove all stakesto allow the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to retain growing naturally .

Watering a Newly Planted Tree

Water the tree mighty after planting and keep the ground around it moist for several week afterward . By that point , the roots will have begun to maturate out into the environ land , and you could set about to step by step trim the frequency of watering . A 3 - in level of mulch around the radix of the tree ( but not meet the luggage compartment ) willkeep weeds outand lose weight water loss .

new imbed trees should only be pruned to remove broken , dead , or pathological limb . Otherwise , pass on them until after their first growing season .

How Much is My Tree Worth?

Every Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree you implant in your yard , whether deciduous or evergreen , tot enjoymentnot to advert benefit for local wildlife and the surround in oecumenical . But trees also addfinancial economic value to your property , which create them deserving the initial investment of money and labor . There are four factors to consider in determining a tree ’s economic value :

Tree tally beautyand wildlife benefits ( not to mention value ) to prop . After all , trees give us refinement and cool places to gather . They declare oneself birds and humble wildlife nutrition and shelter . Trees even soak up carbon copy dioxide and relinquish oxygen in central — which makes them a valuable addition wherever outer space earmark . With proper tree diagram - planting skills , you ’ll ensure the success of your trees for decades to occur . And once you know the basic principle of how to plant a tree , you’re able to apply those technique to different varieties and build a mini forest of your own .

The Myth of Soil Amendments . Puyallup Research and Extension Center at Washington State University .

woman lowering tree root ball into hole