HOW TO PLANT A TREE – Avon Woods Arboretum

Below are step by step instructions for properly planting a tree.

Dig a hole about 2-3 times as wide the root ball diameter. Make it 1-1/4 times deeper than root ball. Put the dirt in one pile to the side.
Measure depth of hole and compare to height of root ball. In this step, you are planning for the base of the tree, called the root collar*, to be above the surface.
Backfill the hole until the depth of hole is about 1-2 inches less deep than the top of the root ball is in height.
Tamp dirt in bottom of hole.
If tree is in a pot:
• Move pot close to hole then tap lower part of pot to loosen roots from container.
• Tilt pot on its side and gently pull plant from pot freeing roots from bottom of pot.
If tree is in a burlap bag:
• Unwrap the root ball.
Make vertical cuts around the root ball to untangle and gently spread out the roots. If possible, allow the main roots to spread out horizontally.
Cut off encircling or girdling roots.
Put root ball into hole, making sure that tree is straight.
Make sure the base of the tree, called the root collar*, is above the surface.
Gently fill around the sides, tamping dirt firming as you go until you have filled up to 1 to 2 inches from height of root ball. Look at bottom of tree stem. It should be 1 to 2 inches above dirt line and stem straight.
Tamp it down all around the top.
Make sure the dirt is smooth and even as uneven soil causes puddling of water resulting in uneven watering of roots.
Cover the area with about 2 to 3 inches of mulch made of natural materials. Make sure there is a gap of 3 to 6 inches between mulch and the base of the tree. Arrange the mulch in a donut hole design. The base of the tree is referred to as the root collar area. Be sure to keep the mulch smooth and the root collar area free from mulch.
The root collar including the root flares is the part of a tree where the trunk widens and transitions into the root system. On a healthy 2-3 year old tree, you should be able to see this flaring at the soil line. It’s a sign the tree was properly planted and is breathing well.
Keeping the collar free of mulch will prevent suffocation of the feeder roots that provide much of the oxygen for the entire root system because there is much oxygen, nutrients and water in the root collar area. No mulch in root collar area also prevents rot and disease. Make the mulch thicker on the perimeter of the mulch donut hole to help protect the trunk from damage by mowers and weed eaters.
Move left over dirt to use as fill somewhere else.
After you plant the tree, gently soak the newly planted tree.
When you plant a tree in the fall, stop weekly watering it in the winter months and resume watering around the end of April, continue with biweekly watering throughout the summer and fall the first year. Skip watering if getting lots of rain.
Enjoy watching your tree grow!

Our goal is for the Avon Woods Arboretum to be a point of connection to create community, and share our love and respect for trees.

We plan to host outdoor activities such as tree plantings, arboretum tours, educational tours, photography tours, sensory walks and scavenger hunts, as well as art activities such as leaf tracings, leaf or bark rubbings, and grow our arboretum to include schools and churches in our neighborhood.

Once we are able to gather indoors, we will include meetings with guest speakers, addressing topics such as “Leave the Leaves,” how biodiversity works, benefits of trees, birdwatching, best tree species for individual yards, how to plant and maintain healthy trees, and the possibilities go on.

We hope to grow an appreciation for native gardening as well, and would like to work toward creating and maintaining a butterfly garden at Avon Park. Biodiversity does not end with trees.

What do you think? Use our contact page to make suggestions or to volunteer to help coordinate an event.