By properly planting and caring for your new tree or shrub, you will ensure its long-term success.

Just did a hole and drop it in…your tree will be fine, right?! Well, not always! Planting technique can either ensure your tree’s long term success, or set it up for fast failure. Because we’re here to help you be successful with all your plant and gardening projects, we want to remind you of some important tips when planting new trees and shrubs.

TWO IMPORTANT RULES:

The planting hole should be 2-3 times as wide and 1-2 inches shallower than the height of the root ball.
The trunk flare should be visible above the soil surface. Burying the trunk flare is a common mistake which leads to tree decline or death. This means you’ll be placing the tree’s root ball slightly above grade or ground level.

Successful Planting Step-by-Step

DIG A HOLE - Dig a hole that is 2-3 times as wide as the root ball and only deep enough so the top of the root ball is even with the original soil level.
PREPARE YOUR PLANT - Remove any tags, wires, or ropes attached to the plant. Remove the plant from its container and massage out the roots. Snip off roots growing in a circle and up around the base of the plant.
PREPARE THE SOIL - It’s best to plant directly into native soil, rather than amend the planting hole with new soil or compost. Research shows that trees establish better long-term when roots acclimate to native soils, instead of growing into a rich amended mix, then hitting natives soils; which can actually stunt the tree. However, it may be beneficial for you to amend the soils in the entire planting area, or garden bed, with 3” of organic compost or Miracle Grow Garden Soil for Trees & Shrubs. Simply work the compost or new soil into the top three inches of the native soil. Then you can dig your new planting hole.
PLANT - Place the plant into the hole, making sure it stands up straight, and not too deep or too shallow. You can lay your shovel handle flat across the hole to compare the top of the root ball to the original soil level. Fill in the space around the tree with the amended soil. Tap the loose soil around the root ball to remove air pockets.
WATER - The initial watering of a new plant should be done by hand to completely soak the root ball.
MULCH - Mulch can be applied to a depth of 2-3 inches to help conserve moisture. It should be kept away from the base of the tree or shrub. Be sure not to create a “mulch volcano” around the base of any tree or shrub. That means never pile the mulch directly up against the trunk of the tree. This can cause disease and will prevent the plant from getting it's much needed oxygen.
FEED THE ROOTS - We do not recommend fertilizing new trees and shrubs with nitrogen fertilizers. It’s best to encourage new root development first so that plants can get established - before they commit resources to pushing out new top growth. For newly planted trees and shrubs we instead recommend what is called a rooting hormone or a root stimulator only. We recommend watering in a root stimulator at planting time and again once per month for the next six months to 1-year. After new trees and shrubs have been in the ground for 6-months you can switch to a root stimulator with a very mild fertilizer such as Fertilome Root Stimulator & Plant Starter Solution, applied in spring through summer. It stimulates early root formation and stronger root development. It also reduces transplant shock and promotes greener, more vigorous plants.

Establishment Watering

85% or more of new plantings that fail do so because of improper watering. Watering is not an exact science and your plants’ needs will depend on many factors including soil conditions, rainfall, elevation, slope, and plant species. Generally speaking, it takes at least two years (or longer for larger trees) for a newly planted tree to become established. During that time much of the plant’s energy is devoted to developing the root system, which requires consistent and deep watering, particularly in the first year. Slow, deep, deliberate supplemental hand watering is needed to establish a new tree or shrub.

IMPORTANT: An in-ground irrigation system used to water the lawn or an oscillating sprinkler is not sufficient to water a newly planted tree or shrub. If you are using an in-ground sprinkler system, you will need to supplement with hand watering until your plants are established.

Choose one of the following watering methods to completely saturate the root ball during the establishment period:

Place a trickling hose at the base of the plant for 30-60 minutes.
Use a hose with nozzle set to “shower” mode and water until you see pooling at the base of the plant.

Gardener’s Notes

Be sure to keep up with watering until the ground freezes. Plants will weather winter best if they are well-hydrated.
The best time of day to water is morning, this gives the plant plenty of time to absorb the water and allows foliage to dry during the day.
In spring, be sure to wake up your garden with thorough, deep watering when the ground thaws.