Tree Planting
As ISA Certified Arborists, tree planting is at the very root of what we do. Poor planting practices cause future problems and can shorten the lifespan of a tree. Many factors affect the long-term success of a planting, including the environment and location in which the tree will be planted, quality of the stock selected from the nursery, and installation practices. We see evidence of poor planting practices far too often when we are called to remove young trees that are prematurely dying. Hiring an ISA Certified Arborist for your tree planting is essential to ensure that you maximize the chances of your trees surviving not only the transplant, but for many years to come. When you call Rooted Arbor Care for your tree planting, you can be confident because our ISA Certified Arborists will walk you through our six-step planting process and ensure your trees have the best opportunity to thrive.
Our Planting Process
PLAN
In order for a planting to be successful long-term, the desired tree must be a good fit for the desired planting location. Different locations pose varying challenges that must be considered so the right tree can be selected to mitigate these challenges. Once we have decided upon a tree and location, one of our ISA Certified Arborists will personally inspect and select each tree from one of our partnering nurseries.
DIG
Planting sites are typically hand dug. Depending on size and species, holes are typically dug 2-3 times wider than the root ball. We always dig our holes wider towards the top to ensure that vital water uptake roots have an easier growth path. Because we often plant in soils with high clay concentration, we always "rough up" or "scratch" the walls of the hole. Hole walls glazed while digging, can create a potentially difficult barrier for young roots, and can lead to girdling root and drainage issues.
ROOT PREP
Unless neccessary to the integrity of the root ball, it is imperative that any root ball stabilization material such as burlap, twine, or metal baskets be removed prior to planting. If the root ball is unstable, we will place the tree in the hole and then carefully remove all remaining material. Trees left in these materials often succumb to root girdling (asphyxiation). Once the root ball is exposed, we will break up compacted soils, carefully tease fibrous roots, train circling roots, and root prune as needed.
PLANT
Once the tree is in the hole, we will fill the hole around the the root ball, ensuring that no large air pockets form in the planting hole. Care must be taken not to overly compact the fill. We avoid overly soft soils in the base for your hole to avoid tree settling. Usually, the goal is to have the root flare located just a few inches above grade. After filling the hole, we typically apply two-three gallons of water per diameter inch of trunk wood.
SOIL & MULCH
After filling the hole, we use some of the original dirt to build a water basin around the tree, These basins or berms are designed to mitigate erosion, and maintain water for the surrounding roots to enjoy! It is vital that these basins are formed with soil prior to mulching. We typically apply a three inch thick layer of mulch around each planting site, while ensuring that we keep the new mulch at least two inches away from the trunk flair.
SUPPORT & PROTECTION
As a general rule, we try to avoid staking or guying a newly planted tree. Trees need to be exposed to the elements (especially wind) to properly develop anchoring roots and appropriate trunk taper. However, environmental conditions sometimes require arborist intervention to ensure planting success. One of our ISA Certified Arborists will let you know if your tree needs additional support or fencing to deter unwanted pests.
Contact Us
512 Sonderen St.
O’Fallon, MO 63366
