How To Properly Install A Plant

Prepare The Planting Site:

The planting hole should be 2 to 3 times wider than the root ball/container.

Don’t dig the hole any deeper than the depth of the root ball/container.

Planting Container Plants:

Center the plant in the planting hole. Keep it straight with the branches pointing in the direction you want them to grow, and position it so that the “front” of the tree faces forward.

Remove the plant from the container Check the roots. If they are tightly compressed or pot-bound, use a knife to score top to bottom approximately every 5” around the root ball. Failure to do so may result in the roots girdling and kill the tree.

Back-fill the planting hole with a mixture of existing soil, peat moss, topsoil & compost or garden soil. Do not overly compress the back-filled soil by tramping it with your feet. Compress gently using your hands.

Water well. A rule of thumb is 12″-24″ inches of water per week during the growing season, either by gentle rainfall, tree gator, drip irrigation or slow trickle from a garden hose.

Fertilize with Root & Grow up to every 6 to 8 weeks for the first year; then switch to the appropriate fertilizer.

Place a 4″ layer of composted mulch around the tree/shrub, making sure to keep the mulch 1-2” off of the trunk.

Planting Balled & Burlap (B&B) Plants

Once the plant is in place & not going to be moved further, remove twine and cut away as much burlap as possible. If the plant is in a wire basket, remove as much wire as possible.

Back-fill the planting hole with a mixture of existing soil, peat moss, topsoil & compost or garden soil; surrounding the tree just to the height of the ball or slightly lower to allow for some settling. Do not overly compress the back-filled soil by tramping it with your feet. Compress gently using your hands.

Water well. A rule of thumb is 1 inch of water per week during the growing season, either by gentle rainfall, tree gator, drip irrigation or slow trickle from a garden hose.

Fertilize with Root & Grow up to every 6 to 8 weeks for the first year, then switch to the appropriate fertilizer.

Place a 4″ layer of composted mulch around the tree/shrub, making sure to keep the mulch 1-2” off of the trunk.