Before breaking ground to plant a tree, consider the following guidelines:
- Check for underground utilities by calling OHIO811 before you dig to avoid potential injury, property damage, and utility disruption
- Be mindful of how overhead powerlines and the anticipated height of your tree as it grows
- In general, it's best to plant trees 10-20 feet from a building
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Remove top layer of sod and dig a bowl-shaped hole 2-3 times the size of your tree's diameter.
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Separate your soil into 2 piles: top vegetative sod or turf and loose bare soil.
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Remove tree from container and check root condition. Look for coiling or circling roots.
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Trim any roots if necessary and pat root ball to loosen the soil.
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Check the depth of the hole to ensure the root flare is 1" above the grade of the ground.
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Place your tree in the center of the hole and backfill with loosened soil; you may wish to add compost or other amendments. Gently press soil around the root zone to reduce large air pockets and stabilize the tree.
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Create "donut" shape around the tree using vegetative sod (root side up) and water.
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Add 3-4" of mulch around planting area. Be sure to avoid putting any mulch in direct contact with the root flare.
Checklist
The final step in the planting process is inspection.
There are many items that need to be checked:
- Is the planting depth correct?
- Have the roots growing against the inside of the container been eliminated?
- Is the trunk straight?
- Has mulch been applied in a light layer over the entire planting hole?
- Has the mulch been pulled away from the trunk of the tree?
- Were the root ball and backfill soil watered thoroughly?
- If the tree needed staking, do the ties allow for growth and movement of the trunk?
