When to Plant: 

It is best to transplant trees when they are dormant (meaning they are not producing food). In Georgia, most deciduous trees are dormant from late fall until the end of winter. The best time to plant is between November and March.

Tree Planting
	Dig the hole.
	Score the sides of the hole.
	Score the bottom of the hole.
	Measure the width of the hole using the shovel handle.
	Remove tree from container and massage the rootball.
	Massage the rootball.
	Measure the height and width of the hole -- make sure it's wide and deep enough, but not too much!
	Separate dirt from grass.
	Separate dirt from grass.
	Place tree in hole and backfill the hole.
	Aerate the soil as you backfill.
	Observe tree as you backfill.
	Check to make sure the tree is standing up stratight.
	Tree is in the ground, but not fully planted.
	Optionally place a ring of rocks around the tree for added protection.
	Tree mulched, watered, and ready to grow.

Find the Right Place.

• See "Right Tree, Right Place" page.

Dig the planting hole.

• At least twice as wide as the rootball and slightly shallower. The goal is make the root flare on the tree even with the top of the planting hole. Use your shovel handle to measure.

• Remove all grass and weeds from the top of the planting area and set aside; you don’t want them to go back in the hole.

• Check size by placing the tree in its hole (lift by rootball not trunk).

• Loosen the floor of the hole somewhat to allow for drainage and root growth if the sides of the hole have become glazed as a result of digging (mainly wet clay soils) then the sides of the hole need to be loosened to allow for root growth and drainage.

• Make the floor of the hole flat so that the tree stands straight.

Carefully place tree in planting hole, lifting underneath the rootball, NOT the trunk.

• If planting a containerized tree, cut off roots growing through the pot using pruners.

• Loosen tree inside the pot by lying on its side and pressing with the hands or knee. Remove pot by sliding the pot off the root ball (easiest if one person holds tree and the other wiggles bucket off).

• Inspect rootball for circling roots (these will be woody roots) and cut off circling portion using pruners disturbing only circling roots (the non-woody white root tips are used for nutrient and water uptake and are greatly needed.

• Ball and burlap (B&B)--loosen wire basket by cutting it as low as possible, cut off all ties and remove as much burlap as possible.

Backfill evenly around rootball using the soil from the planting hole.

• Break up clods as needed (easiest to do after they are back in hole).

• Remove grass and other weeds that snuck in.

• Gently press soil of the planting hole with shovel handle to remove large air pockets that could damage or kill roots, being careful not to compact the soil.

• The finished level of backfill should be continuously even and basically level from the edge of the planting hole to the rootball with no more than one inch of backfill covering the rootball.

• Any extra soil can be used to form a berm (doughnut) around the tree to help hold water in.

Mulch the exposed soil.

• Two to four inches thick.

• Wider is better! Take it as wide as you want, but at least to the dripline.

• Keep about three inches away from trunk to reduce crown rot and damage
  from rodents.

• See Mulching Your Tree for further details.

Water.

• Twice, about ten minutes apart to further settle the soil.

• Pour it on slowly and let it infiltrate.

• Do not pack or stamp wet soil as compaction of soil air spaces will result.

• Routinely as needed; we recommend 10 gallons a week for a 10 gallon containerized tree.

• See Watering Your Tree for further details.

Staking and tying.

• Position stakes outside the planting hole in soil that has not been disturbed.

• Use flat belting to decrease damage to the bark and transport systems, do not use wire and hose to tie the tree.

• Remove ties after one growing season because unremoved ties will girdle branches or trunk.

• Use stakes without ties to protect the tree from lawn mowers and other potential damage (two for narrow strips and a minimum of three evenly spaced around the hole for larger areas).

Prune sparingly.

• Remove dead wood, damaged branches and structural problems.

• See Pruning Your Tree for further details.

Maintenance.

• Water and check routinely for damage.

• While young, the tree should be checked for structural problems: crossing branches, crown density, double/multiple leaders, and branches growing toward the street or structures such as buildings, fences, walls and power lines.