Planting a deciduous tree

Follow the directions and use this illustration to help you plant a tree.

1. Near the location for your plant, remove it from its container to determine how deep its roots are.
2. Dig a hole at least two and a half times as wide and just as deep as the root ball so that when you put the plant in the ground it will rest on undisturbed soil.
3. After placing the plant in the hole, backfill with the soil you removed. Tamp down the soil firmly every six inches as you go so that you create a solid anchor around the plant. The trunk flare (where trunks and root meet) should be just above the ground. Create a saucer of soil around the outside edge of the hole to help capture water.
4. Mulch with three inches of shredded bark or similar material, but avoid placing mulch in the area of the trunk flare. Mulching too close to the flare can cause rot or disease, and weakened wood will attract wood-boring insects. Taller plants will need to be staked.
5. If your property tends to have rabbits, woodchucks, and other herbivores, you may want to protect your valuable specimens with a fence, at least until their trunks become tough enough to be less appetizing.
6. And don't forget to give your plant a good drink of water. Continue to water regularly throughout the first season until the ground hardens in the fall. Allowing the soil to dry out some between waterings will help the plant develop a more extensive root system as it searches for water. Unless the plant is meant to be in saturated soils, avoid overwatering as this will rob the roots of available oxygen. The plant will literally drown.