How to plant a tree

Planting trees is not difficult, but the way a tree is planted determines whether it will thrive. Follow these tips to make sure your trees get off to a healthy start!

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These items are helpful to have on hand:
  • Gloves
  • Tarp or burlap
  • Hoe or flat head shovel
  • Shovel
  • Pickaxe or digging bar
  • Root saw or drywall saw
  • Tie tape (provided with trees)
  • Stakes (provided with trees)
  • Post pounder or mallet
  • Stepping stool or small ladder
  • 5 gallon bucket
  • ~3 cubic feet wood chip mulch
Get Printable Instructions

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Call 811 before you dig

Safety first! Call 811 at least 2 days before digging. This free service requires utilities to mark all of their underground locations so you don't accidentally hit an underground utility line while digging. Mark all proposed tree locations with white paint, chalk, flags, or flour.

Step 1: Liberate the root ball

A diagram shows the root ball of a tree after it's been removed from its pot. Fine roots have been untangled and bypass hand pruners are removing larger circling roots.

  1. Identify and expose the true root flare where the trunk flares out to meet the first major roots. You might have to remove extra soil on top until you find the true root flare.

  2. Vigorously liberate the root ball - thoroughly loosen any fine roots, pointing them outward. 

  3. Prune off any large circling or kinked roots.

  4. Place the tree back in its pot and water it well to prevent the roots from drying out while you dig the planting hole.

Water your tree well before removing it from the pot so the roots don't dry out.

A diagram shows the location of the true root flare, where the trunk flares out to meet the first major roots.
A diagram shows the location of the true root flare, where the trunk flares out to meet the first major roots.

Step 2: Dig a hole and plant your tree

A diagram shows a sapling removed from its pot placed into a wide, shallow planting hole prior to backfilling removed soil. One of the wooden stakes is laid across the hole and next to the tree trunk to check the planting height - the soil should be just at the root flare.

  1. Remove grass and weeds in a 4-foot wide area.

  2. Dig a wide, shallow hole 4 feet wide and only as deep as the rootball from the root flare to the bottommost roots. This height will vary from tree to tree. Score the sides of the planting hole with a shovel or pickaxe so the sides are not smooth.

  3. Place the tree in the hole so the root flare is at or just above the soil line. To check your planting depth, lay a stake across the hole - the root flare should be just in the middle of the stake.

  4. Replace the soil you originally removed to dig the hole; the final soil line should sit just at the root flare. Do not add any store bought soil, fertilizers, or amendments.

A diagram shows 3 examples of planting height: one planted too high above the root flare ("say goodbye"), one just right where the soil line meets the root flare, and one too low ("sure to go").

Step 3: Remove the nursery stake & install support stakes

A diagram shows a newly planted sapling properly staked on both sides 18 inches from the trunk and loosely tied in the bottom 2/3 of the trunk. The nursery stake that was attached to the tree is removed.

  1. Remove the thin nursery stake that was tied to the tree for transport. It will prevent the tree from developing a strong trunk and root system.

  2. If the tree cannot support itself, install 2 support stakes 18 inches away from the trunk on opposite sides.

  3. Tie the tree loosely in one spot to the support stakes in the bottom 2/3 of the trunk, leaving it loose enough to sway several inches in each direction.

Stakes and ties should remain until roots are established - when you can shake the trunk and the ground does not move (6 months - 2 years).

Step 4: Mulch with wood chips

An illustration of a properly mulched tree that was recently planted, with grass removed, 1" of compost applied on top of bare soil, and 4-6" of wood chip mulch applied in a 4' wide fluffy donut shape around the tree.

Natural wood chip mulch saves water, prevents weeds, insulates soil from extreme temperatures, and provides optimal soil conditions for your tree to grow quickly.

  1. (optional) Spread a 1-inch layer of compost on top of the soil to allow key nutrients to soak into the soil over time.

  2. Spread wood chip mulch in a 4-foot area around the tree, 4 inches from the trunk, and 6 inches thick.

  3. Add more mulch on top as it breaks down, about once a year. Do not allow grass or other plants to grow near the trunk.

Check out our tips on mulching your trees to learn more about the benefits of mulch, the best type for your trees, and how you can get FREE wood chips.

Learn More

Step 5: Provide slow, deep waterings in the dry months

A diagram shows a 5-gallon bucket with a 1/8-inch hole drilled near the bottom being used to water a newly planted tree. The bucket is placed on top of a 6-inch layer of wood chip mulch and allowed to slowly drain out in the tree's root zone.

  1. Check the soil below the surface to see if water is needed.

  2. Drill a small hole at the base of a 5-gallon bucket and place it next to the tree. Fill it with water immediately after planting. Fill the bucket 2-3 times per week, for a total of 10-15 gallons per week.

  3. As your tree grows, expand the watering zone outward to soak the area under the outer reaches of the branches. 

  4. Continue watering your young tree at least weekly for the first 3 years. Once it begins to mature and establish a bigger root system, its watering needs may change. Read more about watering mature trees.

Soaker hoses and drip emitters also work well. Lawn sprinklers do not replace the need to deeply water trees.

Learn More

Step 6: Prune for good structure

A diagram shows structural pruning steps on a young deciduous tree that is dormant in its first winter after planting. Competing leaders, crossing and dead branches, and suckers are removed while temporary lower branches are cut back to about 1 foot with bypass pruners.

Start structural pruning the first winter after planting and re-check every winter. A few simple cuts while the tree is young can avoid expensive or more damaging cuts when the tree is mature.

  1. Remove broken, dead, or crossing branches, watersprouts, and suckers.

  2. Select and establish a single central trunk. Remove or prune back any vigorous, upright branches that are competing with the main trunk.

  3. Leave lower temporary branches - they help develop a stronger trunk! If they're too long, shorten them to about 1 foot.

Find more detailed pruning instructions or watch a recorded pruning webinar to sharpen your pruning skills.

Learn More

Now that you've planted your tree, what next?

Watering
Pruning
Mulching
Hiring an arborist