Dallas Morning News – February 13, 2020

Tree Planting Checklist

Trees can be planted year round – but when done late winter through spring, it’s even more important to use the best techniques. Let’s look at what things should not be done when planting your new trees.

All burlap and cords should be removed from B&B trees, especially if synthetic materials have been used

Mistake #1 – Assuming trees are at the correct height in the container. Whether balled and burlapped (B&B) or containerized, new trees will have excess soil on top of the true ball. Mulch, burlap and soil needs to be completely removed. Unfortunately, almost all plants sold are too deep and flares are covered. Once the true ball height has been established, measure it so the planting hole can be dug slightly less deep than the height of the root ball.

Small, smooth-sided holes are harmful and should never be used

Planting holes should be rough-sided

Mistake #2 – Planting in small, smooth-sided holes. Planting holes just a little larger than root ball creates a “pot” in the ground – especially if the hole is smooth sided. Holes should be about three times wider than root balls and have rough, not smooth sides. The width is critical at the top, not the bottom of the hole.

Mistake #3 – Backfilling with foreign soil. Backfill should be what came out of the hole – nothing else. “Better” soil such as sandy loam or soil amendments don’t help. Native soil from the hole helps roots grow easily out into the surrounding soil with little shock. Mycorrhizal fungus products can be added to the backfill. They speed up root grow but don’t change the basic makeup of the soil.

Mistake #4 – Staking trees for no reason and/or the wrong way. Most staking is a waste of time and money. Most healthy, correctly planted trees behave themselves without staking of any kind. Wobbly and weak trees or those in excessively windy places can be staked temporarily, with loose instead of rigid connections so trees can still move with the wind helping to build trunk diameter and strength. This occasional staking should never be left on trees more than one growing season.

Most container trees are too deep in the containers

The brown stain on the flare shows how much excess soil was removed before planting

Mistake #5 – Thinning tops of trees at planting. Removing a percentage of top growth to compensate for root lost is not helpful. Trees in containers have no root loss – they are all in the container. Properly managed B&B trees will also establish better with all top growth preserved. Heavily pruned trees will use their energy to first regrow limbs that have been removed. It is okay to remove damaged or unwanted branches but that’s basically a cosmetic treatment. The smallest and weakest of co-dominate trunks should be removed to prevent tight “V” joints as the tree matures.

Mistake #6 – Wrapping the tree trunks. This is just flat silly. Paper or cloth wrapping not only doesn’t help prevent insect pest and diseases, it actually increases the chances by providing a good environment for them. If sunburn is a concern, paint trunks with a latex paint that matches the color of the trunks.

Mulching mistakes. We’ll talk about the pros and cons next week.