Lots of people plant trees, but few are aware of the essential details as to how it should be done to ensure successful growth!
Unfortunately, this picture shows how many in my industry plant trees—not so good! Many companies in the landscape industry supply nice material, but fall short with the most important part of the job, which is proper planting to allow the new plant to grow.
(How NOT to stake a tree)
I’ll share the details of our M.J. process so you can understand the importance of planting properly:
1) Our key element is the hole we dig. We go twice as wide as the root ball (minimum) for the new tree AND the depth (the tough part), which is determined by the root ball.
2) We do not over dig the depth, but keep it the same as what the tree was prior to transplanting. The root flair should be at soil level, NOT 6-8’’ above grade. This often means we need to slightly open the root ball to examine where the root flair actually is.
3) Using just one stake is a waste of time. If we need to stake a tree, we’ll secure it in three points around the trunk—spaced evenly around the tree (120 degrees on center). The most important stake is the one from the windward side, typically from the West-Northwest here in Central Ohio.
4) We thoroughly water the tree in its new environment. This helps settle the new soil in place to eliminate air pockets and hydrate the stressed tree (anything transplanted). This means we water to a 8-12 inch depth (using a slow slow trickle of the hose).
>> Watch M.J.’s YouTube video on our proper process.
We are here to help with your questions! (Or we can just plant for you. ;)
Go bucks,
Joel
