Fall, specifically throughout November, is the perfect time to plant trees. Trees will have the entire fall and winter seasons to establish roots and recover from transplanting without having to grow and nourish its leaves at the same time. They also don’t lose as much water during these months. In the spring, they will be able to take full advantage of the season to grow. When planting, refer to these tree planting tips from our City arborist, Tom Munn:
-Look up for wires and call OUPS (800) 362-2764 to mark underground utilities. It’s the Law.
-Dig a shallow and wide hole.
-Find the top main root by carefully digging into the root ball or container planting media.
-Carefully place tree into hole. Avoid breaking the soil ball (but slice up container media). The top main root should be one to three inches above ground level.
-Straighten the tree in the hole. Move the ball, not the tree top, to level the tree from all directions.
-Remove all burlap, wire, and synthetic materials. Larger trees can have baskets cut by bolt cutters and removed, with the burlap rolled down to the bottom of the hole.
-Chop up the backfill soil into loose soil or small fragments, and then put the soil back into the hole. Add water throughout the backfilling process to settle the soil. Settle the soil with water, not your foot.
-Cover the sides of the root ball with mulch no more than two inches deep.
-Stake and prune as needed.
-Deeply water at least once a week for the first two years. Further details and discussion may be reviewed at the link below.
Questions about trees? Call our City arborist at 330-342-1750. Happy planting!