Preventing loss of tree stocks

Many times people are given or purchase trees to plant or dig up and move. Often the trees have a low survival rate, especially "bare root" trees ordered from nurseries or catalogs. There are a few tricks and tips I will share with you here.

Any tree you get must be soaked in water for 24 hours before planting. If it has leaves, soak the roots and lower half of the trunk by submerging tree in a bucket or wash tub of water, leaving the leaves where they can get full sun. If it has no leaves and is dormant, soak the entire tree by laying it in a pond, wash tub, or if small enough a bucket. Leave it for 24 hours.

Now while your tree is soaking, dig your hole. Separate the top soil from the sub soil. Dig wide enough that there will be loose dirt 4 inches or more beyond the existing root ball. The desired planting depth is one inch (2.5 cm) deeper than it was originally grown. So the hole you dig needs to be twice as deep as the root ball, plus one inch. Use well rotted compost to fill the lower half of the hole and mix it thoroughly with the dirt in the bottom of the hole. DO NOT PUT CHEMICAL FERTILIZER IN THE HOLE AS IT WILL BURN THE NEW FEEDER ROOTS AND CAUSE THE TREE HARM.

Set the tree in the hole and spread the roots evenly, do not leave them bound in burlap if that is how the tree was received. Mound the dirt under the tree to allow the trunk a good base to sit on, put the top soil in the hole next to the roots first. This will help feed the tree. Water and shake the trunk to settle dirt around the roots. You want water standing in the hole at this point. Now put the sub-soil on top of the top soil that you just watered in, and pack it fully. This will keep weeds and grasses away from the tree and prevent weeds from competing for food with the tree. Brace the tree only if needed (high winds expected). After another 24 hours water heavily, then water weekly after that for the first year. The tree needs to be pruned so that the roots that are left after being ripped off from the digging up and re-planting can feed the tree. I'll discuss that in another post.

Happy Orcharding.

Very good advice

Thanks Keith. I'll be putting this advice in my gardening folder for future reference.

Glad to have something useful to offer

Thanks Keith. Very informative.

Thanks Keith.