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How to Plant a Tree!

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”

Chinese proverb
 

What you need

  • A young plant
  • Gardening gloves
  • A garden trowel or spade
  • A bucket
  • Watering can and water

Optional

  • Mulch
  • A plastic or cardboard tree guard
  • 3 stakes

Prepare

Select a suitable planting spot that is protected (won’t be trampled by people or balls) and where the ground is not too hard.

Select a plant. Check the mature size and what conditions it needs: full sun, shade, filtered light, is it drought-tolerant etc? It’s important that you match the right plant to your planting spot.
Clear the area of weeds and give the ground a little water to make it easier to dig.

Now you are ready to plant!
 

Planting guide

Boy digging hole

1. Dig a hole just deeper than the seedling pot, and twice as wide.

​TIP: Soak the whole plant in its pot in a full bucket of water while you are preparing the hole.

Boy holding tree above hole dig in ground

2. Carefully remove the plant from the pot.

Try squeezing the pot first, then place your fingers round the base of the plant across the surface of the potting mix and tip it up, gently sliding the plant out.

Tease out any tangled roots, and cut off damaged ones.

Boy placing tree in ground

3. Place the plant and the potting mix clinging to the roots carefully into the hole, so that the soil surface of your plant is not higher than the surrounding soil.

One plant diagonal with a cross under it, one straight with a tick

4. Make sure your plant is standing straight - you might need to rotate it testing the ideal aspect for the shape of the plant.

Boy backfilling just planted tree, with smiling worm appearing

5. Backfill with soil, and gently press down around the plant to remove any air gaps and cover all the roots.

Boy and smiling worm creating well around just planted tree

6. Try to have the plant sitting in a slight well to retain water and direct it to the root zone. You can make a little mound of soil as a dam around the outside of the planting hole.

Boy with yellow bag of mulch adding mulch around tree

7. OPTIONAL: Mulch the planting hole surface. Make sure not to have the mulch up against the plant to avoid fungal diseases.

Boy standing next to tree with tree guard

8. OPTIONAL: If using a plastic tree guard, get your 3 stakes. Place 2 stakes either side of the plant, slide the sleeve over these and then use the third to make a triangle.

Boy standing next to tree, watering with orange watering can

9. Water your plant!

TIP: Water it frequently following planting particularly if the weather is hot. To know when to water, scrape away some of the mulch to see if the soil underneath is dry.

 

Top Tip

Keep checking, watering and weeding over the following weeks, months and years because plants need care and attention just like you!

 


 

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