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Things to remember when planting treesBy Tara McKnight CEA- Hort. Texas AgriLife Extension Service Wichita County Now that we have discussed purchasing your new trees for planting this fall, it is time to discuss the proper way to plant them. Once you have decided where to plant your new tree, it is time to dig the hole. Remember to think about the plant's mature size when deciding on placement. You will want to dig a hole that is twice the diameter of the root ball, although, you do not want to make the hole any deeper than the root ball. You will need to plant the tree at the same height in the ground as it is in the container. You never want to place the tree deeper in the hole than it was growing in the container. This will cause you more problems down the road. After you have your new hole, remove the plastic container carefully from around the root ball. You will also want to remove any woven plastic or synthetic material from around the root ball if it is present. If you have purchased a ball and burlap tree, you will only need to remove the burlap from the top portion of the root ball. This is because if the burlap is exposed to the air it can actually pull water away from the newly planted tree to evaporate in the atmosphere. Once you have your tree's root ball uncovered, check for girdling roots. If some of the roots have started to circle the plant, cut them. This will encourage the roots to travel out into the soil instead of continuing to travel in a circle around the plant. Do not mistake this advice to mean to cut all of the roots. You only will want to cut a few. Remember, the roots are what keeps the plant alive. Carefully place your tree into the hole and fill the hole in with native soil only. You do not want to place other amendments, not even compost or fertilizer, in the planting hole. By replacing with only the soil you took out of the hole, the tree has no choice but to get used to the soil in our area. If you fill the hole with other amendments, the tree's roots will want to stay in the nice area you have made for it and not explore the rest of the soil. You will need to water the tree in thoroughly. You want to make sure and remove any air pockets in the soil by watering the tree in properly. It is sometimes easier to fill the hole half the way with soil, then add water to remove air and settle the soil. After you have done this, you can fill the rest of the hole with soil and water in well. Now you can take a step back and admire your hard work. Check in next week when we will discuss how to care for your newly planted tree. Your garden and landscape questions are always welcome. You may either contact me at our county Extension office, 716-8610, or by e-mail, tcmcknight@ag.tamu.edu. You are always encouraged to visit the Wichita County Master Gardner website at www.overthegardengate.org. Another great website to visit for very useful garden hints and answers is http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/. This article, along with every article, will also be featured on www.joetomwhite.com 24 hours a day under county agents. 11/3/08 Date: 10/28/08
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