• Cover the planting area with 3 inches of mulch.• Do not pile mulch against the trunk!

• Remove all ties and any stakes that came with the tree!

Staking & Guying• Staking may be

needed to protect the tree from equipment and people.

• Do not guy a tree if it is not needed.

• Try to select trees that do not need guying.

• Remove the guy wire as soon as not needed

Staking

• Staking should be avoided if possible• Staking may help protect the tree from vandalism• Do not drive stake through the root ball• Allow for flexibility, it is important for the trees

growth for it to be able to move some• Trees greater then 4” are often supported by guying• Sakes and guys should be removed after one growing

season whenever possible

Watering• Water is the single

most important need of newly planted trees.

• Moist but not wet• Water about once a

week = to one inch of rain.

• When it rains enough, don’t water

Mulch• Conserves moisture• Retards grass and

weeds• Reduces soil

temperature• Adds organic matter• Keeps your mower

away from the tree!!!!

Not enough mulch

Too much mulch

The best case scenario

Other important points

• Fertilization is often not recommended at the time of planting

• Pruning immediately after planting should only be done to remove diseased, dying or damaged limbs

• Trunk wrap is generally not recommended and if used should be removed after one year

More points

• Tree guards maybe useful but need to be lose fitting and allow for air circulation

• A rule of thumb for re-establishment after transplanting is one year for each inch of caliper (it sometimes possible for smaller trees to recover more quickly then larger ones)

Transplanting• In general the best time to transplant is in the early

spring or late fall when the tree is dormant

• Sometimes very large trees are dug in the winter when the ground is frozen, this does less damage to the root ball and surrounding area

• Root pruning can greatly increase the amount of absorbing roots in the ball when it is dug (digging around in a radius smaller then root ball will produce new root growth within the ball for future harvest)

Transplanting

• 1st cuts made with sharp axe- clean cuts, avoid tearing or breaking roots

• If dug with machinery, dig the ball several inches larger then needed so final cuts can be made by hand

• Ball should taper, wider at the top then the base

• Burlap is held together by nails and large balls are ‘drum laced’ with rope to hold them together

Tree Spade

• Mechanical tree digger that comes in various sizes

• If a spade is used to dig the planting hole, the whole should be widened and roughened to prevent glazing and encourage new root growth

• Digging and planting trees on a slope can be a problem with a tree spade

Transplanting

After trees are dug from the field they are

sometimes Hardened off in a protected

holding area

Transplanting Size

• Measure 12” above the root flare (hopefully ground level) to determine diameter

• 10” of ball for each 1” of trunk a rule of thumb (for MINIMUM ball size)

• In general a root ball depth 30-36” is enough

Wrong tree for your driveway

Wrong site for any tree

Wrong tree for a small site

Wrong site

Too close to van

Wrong species for the tree lawn

What wrong with this planting?

Planting space too small

Root Girdled Tree

Twine not removed at planting

Girdling root

Key Terms

• Balled and Burlapped• Bare root• Container grown• Containerized• Drum laced• Girdling root• Guying• Hardened off

• Perched water table• Planting specifications• Root ball• Root pruning• Staking• Transplant shock• Tree spade• Tree wrap• Wire basket