Planting Trees

Shade trees can create energy savings around your home.

Follow these seven basic steps for planting trees successfully.

Shade trees add much to the landscape of your home, and their shade can cut your heating and cooling bills. If you don't have trees shading your home, you may wish to plant some. The task isn't hard, and the tree should survive if you follow seven basic steps.

First step - dig the hole before moving the tree. It's important for you to put the tree in the ground as quickly as possible, so wait to move the tree until the hole for it is ready.

If the tree is bare-rooted, dig the hole large enough to spread the roots out naturally. If you're planting a balled or burlapped tree, make the hole large enough to add at least six inches of prepared soil on all sides of the ball.

Second step - keep the roots moist while the tree is out of the ground. Balled or container trees should be watered frequently to prevent drying of the roots. If you're not going to plant the tree for an extended period, "heel in" the tree. This means covering the roots with loose soil or organic matter, such as wood shavings, pine bark or compost.

Third step - place the tree in the hole at the same depth, or just slightly deeper, than it grew before transplanting. Remember to spread the roots of bare-rooted trees to prevent crowding. You should place them in the same position they were growing before transplanting.

Fourth step - replace the soil around the roots. A good planting mixture is essential if the tree is to establish new roots. You can mix topsoil, organic matter and sand to make your own planting soil. Firm the soil several times while filling to make sure that no air pockets form. You can build a mound or small levee around the tree to help hold water and add a mulch of leaves or straw around the tree to conserve moisture.

Fifth step - Trees should be watered after planting. For bare-rooted trees, you should water while placing the soil around the tree. Watering while planting eliminates air pockets.

Sixth step - wrap the trunk. Wrapping the trunk slows evaporation of moisture from the bark, protects the bark from the hot rays of the sun, which can cause sunscald and prevents wood borers from attacking the tree.

Seventh step - stake the tree. For larger trees, use two-by-two inch wooden or metal pipe stakes to hold the tree in place Another way- use two stakes placed close to the trunk of the tree. A wire is tied to each stake and around the tree to hold it upright. The wire around the tree is threaded through a short section of garden hose so the wire won't rub on the young tree.

For trees in the open, away from where people walk and grass is mowed, place three stakes in a triangle about five to six feet from the tree. Support wires from the tree to the stakes give a lot of anchorage. Wrapping the support wires with a colorful material can help prevent accidents caused by not being able to see the thin wires.

Leave the stakes in place for at least one growing season.

For more information on planting trees, contact your local County Extension Office.