Don't Make These Mistakes When Planting a Tree

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Amending Soil

At one time, this was accepted advice: amend the soil with compost, peat moss and other additives when backfilling a newly planted tree. The problem is, if surrounding soil is poor, tree roots end up staying in their “comfort zone,” where the living is good. They don’t have incentive to spread out and anchor the plant. Also, a heavily amended planting hole acts as a sponge, collecting excess water when surrounded by heavy, nonporous clay. If you are going to amend the soil, amend a much larger area—at least 5 to 6 feet.

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Not Enough Water

Insufficient watering is probably the number one reason newly planted trees don’t survive. Water deeply after planting and weekly after that the first year or two. Leave a basin around the tree to funnel water to the roots. A newly planted tree needs at least 5 gallons of water per week. A simple way to ensure this is to drill a couple small holes at the base of a plastic 5-gallon bucket. Fill the bucket with water weekly and let it slowly drain into the basin surrounding the tree. Do you know what tree watering bags are?

If you’re thinking about choosing a tree for your yard, check out some trees with great fall foliage.