Success With Trees!

Remove grass in a 3 to 4 foot diameter circle.  Dig your hole the same depth as the rootball, no deeper, and dig the hole at least 6" wider than the rootball.  Set the tree in the hole and check to be sure that the rootball is as high or higher than the surrounding soil. 

Break up the soil from the hole, and mix with soil amendments if desires, such as Nature's Blend compost, but no more than 1/4 amendments to 3/4 native soil.  Do not put straight potting soil or compost into the hole. Backfill around the roots, settling the soil by gently tamping, or filling the hole with water as you fill with soil.  Do not put any soil on top of the rootball.  Inset agriform fertilizer tablets if desired, and cover the roots with mulch, no more than 2" deep at the trunk.Stake tree to resist wind if necessary, but remove stakes as soon as possible.  Don't let the wire rope cut into the tree as it grows.  Water as required for that variety.  Note that most new mesquites die from too much water, and most new oaks die from too little.  A new oak should be watered every day. If we get a heavy rain, skip only the day it's raining and water the next day!  Frequent heavy soaking and regular fertiling make oaks grow.  Ask us about the water requirements of other trees.  Do not let grass grow under new trees for the first 3 to 5 years.  Do not allow mowers or string trimmers around new tree trunks.