ISA Certified Arborist TrainingTree Instillation and

Establishment

Tree Planting

• Many stresses and physiological disorders can be traced to poor planting practices

• Plant the right tree in the right place (consider the trees needs vs.the limitations

of the site)

When to plant

• If planted in the fall after leaf drop, roots may begin establishment before dormancy

• Early spring before bud-break is also a good time to plant trees

• Trees establish most quickly when soil temperatures are warm and moisture is adequate

• Maintaining enough moisture is crucial to encourage roots to grow into the surrounding soil

Three types of planting stock

• Bare root

• Containerized (potted)

• Balled and Burlapped (B&B)

Bare root

Bare Root• Small and easy to transplant• No soil on the roots, very light• Roots must be kept moist• Planted during the dormant season• Only deciduous trees or small conifers can be planted bare root• Planted on small mounds in planting hole to

spread the roots• May require staking• Low cost• Careful storage needed (32º- 40º F and moist)

Planting Bare Root

• Bare-root trees should be planted on small compact mounds within the planting holes

• Roots must be kept moist to minimize drying- limit their exposure to the air

• May require staking

Containerized

• Are grown or placed in a container

• Can be planted any time of year- if watered an maintained properly

• Easy to store and handled• Wide variety of sizes avialiable• Good survival rates if grown and

planted properly • Less transplant shock?• Watch for girdling roots

Watch for encircling roots which could girdle the tree.

Don’t buy this tree

Not all containerized trees are container grown, be sure an established root system

exists within the pot before purchase.

Container Planting

• Always remove the container before planting, unless it is in a biodegradable pot (and maybe then as well)

• Circling roots should be separated and spread, if this is not possible, they should be cut in at least two places to prevent girdling

Balled and Burlapped – B&B

• Easier transplanting of larger sizes

• Widely available and easy to find

• Heavy and hard to handle• Much of the root system is

lost during digging• Digging B&B trees can

result in the loss of as much as 95% of the root system

B&B continued

• Burlap used to wrap the root ball supports the the root system and prevents drying by reducing roots contact with the air

• If burlap is synthetic, or treated to prevent it from decomposing, it must be removed prior to planting

• Burlap exposed to the air after planting can promote ‘wicking’ of water away from the root

ball

Handling trees• Transporting- Always cover trees on a trailer or in

a truck bed to prevent wind burn. Be careful not to leave trees covered with a heavy dark tarp on a hot sunny day.

• Moving- Never lift the tree by the trunk (unless bare root). Always carry by the container or root ball. Many tools exist to make this easier: Hay hooks, dollies, ball carts, slings, etc…

Planting a Tree Dig the planting

hole two to three times wider than the container or root ball– Same depth as the

container or ball– Remove existing

grass– Scratch sides of hole

if glazed

• Handle the tree by the container or root ball not the trunk.

• Carefully cut and remove any twine wrapped around the trunk at the top of the root ball.

• Remove all tags and labels

• If possible, orient the tree to same direction it was planted in the nursery

•Container grown trees should have encircling roots cut.

Never plant deeper then the tree is in the root

ball or container. Laying a board or pole across

the planting hole is a good way to check.

Root flare• Find the proper

planting depth is very important for establishment

Planting Depth

• Planting too deep is a common problem that can lead to tree stress or death

• Soft fill should not be added to the bottom of the hole because the root ball will settle and be planted too deeply.

• Gravel should not be added to bottom of hole as it can encourage a ‘perched water table’.

• In heavy clay soils trees should be planted shallow (with 3”-5” of root ball exposed)

Tree planted shallow in heavy soil to prevent ‘drowning’

How roots grow in the planting

hole

Most root growth is shallow and

horizontal

• Backfill the hole with loose soil• Do not amend the soil – Use what came out of the

hole

• Saturate the hole with water• Add more soil if needed

• Cover the planting area with 3 inches of mulch.• Do not pile mulch against the trunk!

• Remove all ties and any stakes that came with the tree!

Staking & Guying• Staking may be

needed to protect the tree from equipment and people.

• Do not guy a tree if it is not needed.

• Try to select trees that do not need guying.

• Remove the guy wire as soon as not needed

Staking

• Staking should be avoided if possible• Staking may help protect the tree from vandalism• Do not drive stake through the root ball• Allow for flexibility, it is important for the trees

growth for it to be able to move some• Trees greater then 4” are often supported by guying• Sakes and guys should be removed after one growing

season whenever possible

Watering• Water is the single

most important need of newly planted trees.

• Moist but not wet• Water about once a

week = to one inch of rain.

• When it rains enough, don’t water

Mulch• Conserves moisture• Retards grass and

weeds• Reduces soil

temperature• Adds organic matter• Keeps your mower

away from the tree!!!!

Not enough mulch

Too much mulch

The best case scenario

Other important points

• Fertilization is often not recommended at the time of planting

• Pruning immediately after planting should only be done to remove diseased, dying or damaged limbs

• Trunk wrap is generally not recommended and if used should be removed after one year

More points

• Tree guards maybe useful but need to be lose fitting and allow for air circulation

• A rule of thumb for re-establishment after transplanting is one year for each inch of caliper (it sometimes possible for smaller trees to recover more quickly then larger ones)

Transplanting• In general the best time to transplant is in the early

spring or late fall when the tree is dormant

• Sometimes very large trees are dug in the winter when the ground is frozen, this does less damage to the root ball and surrounding area

• Root pruning can greatly increase the amount of absorbing roots in the ball when it is dug (digging around in a radius smaller then root ball will produce new root growth within the ball for future harvest)

Transplanting

• 1st cuts made with sharp axe- clean cuts, avoid tearing or breaking roots

• If dug with machinery, dig the ball several inches larger then needed so final cuts can be made by hand

• Ball should taper, wider at the top then the base

• Burlap is held together by nails and large balls are ‘drum laced’ with rope to hold them together

Tree Spade

• Mechanical tree digger that comes in various sizes

• If a spade is used to dig the planting hole, the whole should be widened and roughened to prevent glazing and encourage new root growth

• Digging and planting trees on a slope can be a problem with a tree spade

Transplanting

After trees are dug from the field they are

sometimes Hardened off in a protected

holding area

Transplanting Size

• Measure 12” above the root flare (hopefully ground level) to determine diameter

• 10” of ball for each 1” of trunk a rule of thumb (for MINIMUM ball size)

• In general a root ball depth 30-36” is enough

Wrong tree for your driveway

Wrong site for any tree

Wrong tree for a small site

Wrong site

Too close to van

Wrong species for the tree lawn

What wrong with this planting?

Planting space too small

Root Girdled Tree

Twine not removed at planting

Girdling root

Key Terms

• Balled and Burlapped• Bare root• Container grown• Containerized• Drum laced• Girdling root• Guying• Hardened off

• Perched water table• Planting specifications• Root ball• Root pruning• Staking• Transplant shock• Tree spade• Tree wrap• Wire basket