Select the location: Dig a wide planting hole: Place the tree in the hole at the proper height: Backfill with soil around the rootball:

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1 Planting a Tree Select the location: Choose a spot where the tree can reach full size; note the expected mature height & spread of the species. Plant trees at least half the mature leaf crown width away from buildings and away from overhead utility lines. BEFORE DIGGING Call 811 to Locate Underground Utilities. Move the tree planting location if necessary to clear underground utilities. Dig a wide planting hole: The planting hole should be dug only as deep as from the top roots to the bottom of the rootball and 2 to 3 times as wide. Soil at bottom of hole needs to remain solid and undisturbed. Place the tree in the hole at the proper height: Determine where the top permanent roots grow out from the trunk and plant the top roots level or 1-2 inches above the ground surface. If the tree is too deep, its roots may suffocate. Containerized Trees: Take the tree out of the container and place the tree into the hole. Cut circling roots and spread them out from the rootball. Balled & burlapped (B&B) trees: Gently roll a balled & burlapped (B&B) tree into the hole onto firm soil. Leave the burlap and wire around the rootball. Adjust the tree by moving the rootball not the trunk. Take any additional soil off the top of the rootball, but leave the top roots covered with at least an inch of soil. After the tree has been adjusted in the hole and the top roots are at or above the surrounding soil grade, cut and throw away the top twothirds (2/3) of the wire basket and the burlap. Backfill with soil around the rootball: Fill the hole with the same soil from the excavation. Do not add soil amendments or fertilizer to the backfill soil. Hold the tree vertical while soil is placed in the hole. Break large soil clods with the shovel blade to eliminate air pockets. Large air pockets can cause roots to dry out. Settle the soil with some water as soil is added to the hole until the tree is firmly held vertical. Avoid tamping soil around the rootball as this compacts the soil and may inhibit the spread of roots. Form a soil ring, a ridge of soil six inches high, around the margin of the hole, outside of the rootball, to serve as a reservoir when watering. 1

2 Do not fertilizer the first year: Never apply high nitrogen fertilizer at planting time as it may damage tender roots. After one year, have a soil test done to determine if fertilizers are needed. Prune sparingly: Prune only dead or broken branches at planting. Corrective prune after two years. Stake the tree: Staking a tree can cause bark damage and reduce the development of strong roots and a tapered trunk, if staked improperly or for too long. However, in Laramie, it should be staked for one year to avoid shifting during high winds. Drive two, 5 to 6-foot long steel t-posts or similar wooden stakes into the ground, just outside the perimeter of the rootball and into undisturbed soil. Put one stake on the prevailing wind side (southwest) and the second stake on the opposite side. Use webbing straps at least 1-inch wide. Tie one end with two knots around the tree trunk and the other end with two knots around the stake. Do not pull tight. There should be a little slack to allow the tree some movement. Remove straps and stakes after one year. Apply mulch on top of rootball & beyond: A 2 to 4-inch layer of coarse textured mulch conserves soil moisture and moderates soil temperature around newly planted tree roots. Maintaining a permanent mulched, grassfree area around your tree reduces lawn competition for water and nutrients, and also protects the trunk from lawn-mower/trimmer damage. Pull weeds and grass out of the mulch area. Mulch touching the trunk of the tree can cause a damp trunk, promoting fungal growth. Water regularly: With Laramie s clay soils most water absorbing tree roots are in the top 12-inches of soil. Proper watering is the most important factor in keeping your plants growing vigorously. Watering needs vary with individual plant requirements as well as the soil type, drainage, exposure and weather. Develop a watering schedule from your own experience by checking the soil moisture. Dig in the ground about 6 inches deep just inside the tree canopy dripline. Get a clump of soil from the bottom of the hole, squeeze it into a ball. If the soil won t stay in a ball, you should water the plant. If the soil forms a moist ball or leaves moisture on your hand wait a few more days before watering. Tree roots need air and water for development. If you water too frequently, the soil is constantly wet and 2

3 excludes oxygen from the roots. If you don t water often enough the roots can die, tree leaves wilt and the tree will soon die if no water is received. When you do water, soak the ground enough to wet the root zone down to about 8 inches deep. Allow adequate time between watering events to permit the soil to dry somewhat, yet still remain moist. This will allow air to penetrate into the root zone. Winter care: In Laramie, most winter damage is caused by drying out plant tissues. The combination of strong winds, intense sunlight and sparse winter moisture causes stress on trees, especially on young transplants with small root systems. Maintain mulch and apply water at least monthly in the fall and winter, if the ground can absorb some water. A good layer of snow on the ground under the tree provides moisture and buffers the soil temperature. Supplemental watering is not needed with good snow cover. In Autumn, when the leaves change color, install a crepe paper tree wrap on the trunks. The trunk wrap usually comes in a roll 3 to 4-inches wide and is often beige in color. Start at the base of the tree trunk wrapping tightly in a spiral up to the lowest branches. Use electrical tape wrapped around the trunk paper wrap and back onto the tape in several locations to hold the crepe paper trunk wrap in place. Electrical tape won t stick to the paper, so it is important to stick the electrical tape to itself in several wraps. Duct tape doesn t seem to work well over the course of winter. Put some wraps of electrical tape at the bottom, middle, and top of the trunk. The wind will otherwise find a gap and begin unwrapping the trunk wrap. In Spring, when the tree leaves fully emerge, remove the electrical tape and tree wrap. Reinstall in Autumn. Repeat for 5 to 10 years. Use on all young trees - EXCEPT Aspen. 3

4 Webbing strap to stake tree, around one inch wide. Tree trunk crepe paper wrap designed to shade trunk in winter from intense sunlight on the trunk which can cause frost crack and suns scald on the trunk of young trees. Electrical tape used to hold tree wrap in place on the trunk. 4

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