How to
A lot of it depends on your existing soil. If you are in a modern development, we are sorry to say there is usually little top soil. Be sure to do a combination of: digging out some of the poor soil, bringing in topsoil or Triple mix and/or compost, mixing that together and mix with some of the existing soil to create a better environment for the roots to get started in. And yes this will bring the grade of the garden above existing, which is good if you have poor soils so that the roots don’t sit wet.
- Prepare the area for planting, amending soil to create a “garden situation”
- Dig a hole 1.5 to 2 times the width of the rootball and approximately the same depth as the height of the rootball
- Inspect the roots and disturb if necessary. If the shrub has circling roots and the rootzone looks crowded then cut down the sides of the rootball at a 1” depth. If the rootball is not overcrowded then simply ruffle with your hand the edges of the root zone to encourage the root hairs to venture out in the soil after planting
- Make sure the plant is in the hole straight and fill around halfway around with soil. Tamp with your foot to tighten the soil somewhat, then fill around the rest of the soil and tamp again with your foot.
- Water in thoroughly. Turn the hose on at a trickle or little more to slowly moisten the planting area. Put the outlet of the hose directly by the base of the plant
- Spread mulch around the shrub to a depth of approximately 2”
Simple steps for planting your tree
A lot of it depends on your existing soil. If you are in a modern development, we are sorry to say there is usually little topsoil. Be sure to do a combination of: digging out some of the poor soil, bringing in topsoil or Triple mix and/or compost, mixing that together and mix with some of the existing soil to create a better environment for the roots to get started in. For trees and small trees this should be a planting spot of about 4-5’ wide. This will bring the grade of the planting area slightly above existing, which is good if you have poor soils so that the roots don’t sit wet.
1. Pick a spot that will provide room for your desired tree to have required space to grow vertically and horizontally
2. Prepare the area for planting, see above
3. If the tree has circling roots to cut them with pruning shears or a knife. Circling roots if left uncut will limit the tree’s ability to send out anchor roots and withstand higher winds
4. Make sure the plant is in the hole straight and fill around halfway around with soil. Tamp with your foot to tighten the soil somewhat, then fill around the rest of the soil and tamp again with your foot.
5. Water in thoroughly. Turn the hose on at a trickle or little more to slowly moisten the planting area. Put the outlet of the hose directly by the base of the plant
6. Spread mulch around the shrub to a depth of approximately 4”
7. Stake the tree on the windy side (typically South and West) or on both sides
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