Proper Tree Planting

Add bad mulching practices to the end of that. After all, people can plant trees right and still destroy them by bad mulching.

Evil.. evil.. evil…

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

great tips!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Very informative Gardenmentor.One thing I have noticed quite a lot is people who transplant trees and they end up dead by the middle of summer.I have always been told if you dig a tree up to transplant that you should tag the south side of the tree and plant it in the same direction.This has always worked for me.I have never transplanted one without doing this.So my question is this.Do they transplant the same if you don’t follow this rule?

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Scott, you’re absolutely right. The mulch mountains drive me crazy. I don’t see a lot of them in Seattle anymore, but they are regular practice in Virginia where I was recently visiting.

Bon, I’ve never heard of the tag and plant in the same direction. That’s interesting, but I’m not sure why that would be necessary. Ask whoever told you and please share their “why’s” on the subject, please!

-- GardenMentor, Seattle, WA (zone 8/9), www.gardenmentors.com & www.gardenhelp.org

The reason so many people lose trees is that they either try to put a tree species where it shouldn’t be, or they underwater or overwater.

LOL…The mulch mountains drive me crazy too but the proper use of mulch is important. You don’t need much mulch in a temperate rainforest climate like Seattle but you sure do in Virginia. The tagging and planting on the same orientation is false…no need to worry about it.

A little more on proper planting. I’ve taken our website down since we no longer run the tree farm but here is the text from one of the pages.

A properly planted tree or shrub will be more likely to survive and require much less management than one planted incorrectly. Proper planting minimizes water, fertilizer and pesticide use. When making decisions on what to plant and how to plant it, you need to consider how the plant was grown in the nursery, the plant’s drainage requirements, and the soil type and drainage characteristics. The plant should be appropriate to the site, or the site should be changed to fit the plant.

Approximately 75% of the roots may be lost when digging field-grown nursery stock. Cultural practices, such as root pruning, irrigation, fertilization, root-ball configuration, and digging techniques, influence the percentage of harvested roots. Water stress, due to removal of most of the water-absorbing roots, is the primary cause of transplant failure. Most water absorption capability within a transplanted root-ball results from very small diameter roots. These fragile roots are the first to suffer from excess water loss in newly transplanted landscape plants.

I recommend to all our customers to plant in the very early spring or in the fall for a number of reasons. Once growth has started in the spring the plant is much more susceptible to injury. The bark is softer and easily torn. The new growth transpires (loses moisture) much faster. In the heat of summer the hair roots are much more likely to dry out. Here in New England early fall (September) is the best time for planting. The new growth has hardened and is less likely to be injured and won’t transpire as quickly. The plant still has time to put down some new roots to stabilize it. I recommend a high potassium fertilizer to stimulate new root growth.

Bare Root Plants
Advantages of planting bare-root plants are mostly economical. Plants are less expensive to produce because of the ease of harvesting, storing and shipping. Many species respond well to bare-root harvesting. A greater portion and longer roots are retained after harvesting and roots are easily inspected at planting time. Damaged roots can be trimmed and girdling roots can be removed before planting. Bare-root plants should be planted while they are completely dormant. Landscape- sized bare-root trees usually require staking.

Balled and Burlapped
Larger landscape plants are traditionally harvested as “balled and burlapped” (B&B). A major advantage of B&B plants is that soil types can be matched, thereby reducing any interface problems that might inhibit water movement between the rootball and surrounding soil of the landscape site. The main disadvantage of B&B material is that a large portion of the roots may be severed at harvest time. The amount of roots harvested depends upon soil type, irrigation practices and root pruning during the production period. Plants moved B&B are subject to seasonal constraints. The most favorable seasons are when transpiration demand is low and root generation potential is high, such as in fall, winter and early spring. With the much-reduced root system, water is a critical element in the successful transplanting of B&B material.

Field Harvested
This is how most of our nursery stock is sold. We see this as being in-between the bare root and B&B methods, leaning more toward the B&B side. We root prune during production to maximize the root mass. Customers contact us ahead to coordinate digging. The customer arrives, usually with a friend or two, in a vehicle suitable to handling the order. We dig and load together. Using a sling of burlap we minimize the tearing of hair roots. Take the sling home with you and reverse the process.
This method does require immediate planting (same day or the next, or at least keeping the root ball moist) That’s why we tell folks to prepare their holes ahead. We find this to be very effective. It allows us to leave the trees in the ground until they are selected. Reducing our costs, and yours. It’s also much easier for planting. Simply slide the tree into the hole and back fill. No twine or burlap to cut and any damaged or overlapping roots can be easily seen and pruned.

Transporting
Correct planting technique begins with the loading of the plant at the nursery. Home gardeners and landscapers should be very careful with plant material. Always protect the roots, stems and foliage during transport. The plant tops should be shielded from winds. Never pick up a plant by the trunk. Trees are particularly vulnerable to damage if growth has started. In the spring the bark is easily injured. B&B trees are very susceptible to this type injury because of the weight of the root-ball. Lift plants from underneath the rootball with the appropriate equipment. Container- grown plants should be handled by the container and never by the tops of the plant. If plants must be held or stored on the landscape site, it is best to place them in a location protected from the wind and sun. Do not let the roots freeze or dry out during this time. If the delay in planting is more then a few days, one should “heel in” B&B material by covering the roots with bark or some other mulch. Supplemental irrigation is critical for the nursery stock during the growing season. The small “hair” roots take up most of a plants water. Protect them at all costs.

The Planting Hole
If you have poor or compacted soil create a good root zone by amending the soil removed with a sandy-loam topsoil and aerifying the soil as deep as possible. The addition of organic matter provides little or no advantage to the planting hole in good soils. Backfill should, in most cases, be the soil removed from the planting hole: The organic matter, e.g. compost or composted pine bark, is uniformly mixed with the soil. This makes room for future growth and increases aeration to the backfill.

If poor drainage conditions cannot be corrected, don’t plant a tree or shrub in the area, unless it can tolerate these conditions. If the soil is sandy and moisture is difficult to hold, a heavier topsoil can be added. Organic matter in this situation will be valuable as it improves the water-holding capacity of the sandy soil. After planting, add a 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch on the soil surface around the plant. This will conserve moisture, discourage weeds and moderate soil temperatures.

The most important consideration in planting trees and shrubs is the planting depth. Don’t plant too deep. It is better to plant higher so the roots will not drown or suffocate. Dig planting holes 2 to 3 times wider than the rootball and the same depth. Locate the rootball on solid soil and not loose backfill. Cut and fold down the top half of the burlap, removing all of it if possible, and remove any nylon strings. Be sure to remove plastic liners or synthetic burlap type materials.

For the most efficient use of water, construct an earthen dam 4 to 6 inches high around the dripzone area of the plant after planting. Water will have the ability to collect in this saucer and move slowly down into the planting hole. Runoff will be minimized.

Staking
Sometimes a newly planted tree will require additional support, anchorage or protection. Stakes should be added for one of these reasons, although an unstaked tree grows faster than a staked one. Prolonged staking not only reduces the taper of the trunk, but also creates a liability, particularly if it is not clearly flagged. Make sure you remove it after the first growing season.

Pruning
Pruning should be done to remove damaged branches and to improve the structure of the plant. Overlapping, parallel, and crowded branches should be pruned after installation. Cosmetic pruning to improve the form and shape of the plant is also recommended.

Proper selection, siting, preparation, transporting and planting will greatly increase the likelihood that the tree you plant today will be around to enjoy for many years.

-- Bob, Carver MA USA, Zone 6b, Annual Rainfall 48" http://capecodbaychallenge.org

Treefarmer,

Any advice on digging? I’ve got a 3’ tall ornamental maple of some kind or another that I want to move. It will be going centerpiece in a flowerbed which has wonderful soil.

Wondering when the best time to dig it up would be, the diameter of soil to remove with the ball and, well, really anything else that might help keep it alive.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

excellent information Bob. Thank you

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Wow Bob I had no idea there was so much info on planting trees.Thanks.I got my tagging info from my grandfather but he passed away a few years ago.He used to grow the most beautiful dahlias and zinnias.He was a fisherman and he used to bury the fish carcasses deep in his gardens.In spring he would dig deep to till them and get them ready for planting.He always had the best tomatoes too.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Scott, the best time to dig any deciduos tree is when they are dormant. Wait until after the tree has lost all its leaves and then dig a trench around the tree at the drip line of the branches. Make the trench about 12” deep and then start to angle your way in under the tree. For a tree that size you’ll want to be about 18” deep at the center of the root ball. Use a sharp spade and cut cleanly. After a while you’ll be able to rock the tree around…..move around the clock….rocking as you go, feeling for the roots that are still holding. Once you get everything cut you can remove excess soil…shake and/or brush gently…to make a light root ball for easier moving.

Good luck….you never know…sometimes with the best preperation they die. On the flip side…long before I knew anything about trees I literally ripped an arborvitae out by its roots from my father in laws house. Wrapped a chain around it and pulled with a truck. A 6” trunk, 10’ tall, no root ball….just a couple of spindly roots left. I replanted it in our yard anyway. It’s the centerpiece in our driveway to this day…25 years later.

You know I’m full of it Deb…:)

Bon….Lots of old fisherman around here do the same…Makes for great gardens…somewhat stinky on occasion though…:)

-- Bob, Carver MA USA, Zone 6b, Annual Rainfall 48" http://capecodbaychallenge.org

Across the street at our old home we had an old Armenian lady (whom I loved!!!), full of wisdom ... she used to do the same thing with fish bones but it was under her Japanese Maple. Most beautiful tree I had ever seen!!!

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b