How to Plant Your New Tree

A Good Start Your trees started out their lives in a nursery. That is a place where people grow trees to plant in other places. There are rows and rows of many different kinds of seedlings at every nursery.

Tree Needs What do trees need? Space Air Sunlight Water Nutrients Nursery managers make sure that the trees they are growing have everything they need.

The leaves or “crown” of a tree collect sunlight The whole tree needs space The leaves or “crown” of a tree collect carbon dioxide from the air Water and nutrients are collected by the tree’s roots. If the roots can’t collect these things, the tree will die. Roots are very important! Sunlight and air (CO2 if the group will understand) are collected by the tree’s leaves. The whole tree needs space. The roots of the tree collect nutrients from the soil The roots of the tree collect water from the soil

Babysit Your Tree The rules for care No sun No wind No freezing No heat Temperature between 33F and 40F Plant in 1 to 5 days You are in charge of taking care of your tree until you can plant it. You are sort of like a tree babysitter. There are some rules you need to know in order to take care of your tree before you plant it. Sun, wind, and heat will dry out a tree that isn’t planted. “If the roots are dry, the tree will die” – a tree can’t get the things it needs without it’s roots. The tree should be cool, but not be frozen. 33 – 40 is best. Your refrigerator is a good place to keep it temporarily. Trees shouldn’t be stored more than 5 days. Shorter is better.

Choose Your Tree’s New Home What kind of tree is it? Before you can decide where to plant your tree, you should learn about the tree. [Find out what tree species students have and tell them a little about it.]

Choose Your Tree’s New Home What else should you think about? Think about the seeds/fruit that a tree has. Will it make a mess? Will it be food for animals that you want to watch? Will it have leaves that are colored in the fall? Will you have to rake? Will it have leaves that stay green all year that will block the wind and your view?

Choose Your Tree’s New Home What else should you think about? How tall? How wide? Sun or shade? How tall and wide will your tree get when it is mature? Does your tree prefer a place with a lot of sun, or does it like shade?

Choose Your Tree’s New Home Where should I plant it? Look up! Look down! Look around! Is there a utility line overhead? Is there a utility line buried in the ground? – Have Mom and Dad call digger’s hotline. Will the tree be too wide for the place you want to plant it? – Will it have enough space?

Planting Your Tree Remove the grass Dig a hole Now that you’ve carefully considered what kind of tree you have and where you can plant it, you’re ready to dig. Take all of the grass off of the place you will plant the tree. Dig a hole for the tree that about as deep as the roots and is a little wider than you think you’ll need.

Planting Your Tree Check the depth Check the space for roots Now you are ready to plant your tree. Plant your tree in the hole so that you just cover up the roots. Be careful not to plant it too deep! Make sure there is enough room for the roots to spread out and not bend around.

Planting Your Tree Fill the hole Pack the soil Carefully fill the dirt in around the roots and gently pack the soil around the roots. Hold the tree straight while you fill in the dirt.

Planting Your Tree Water it Mulch it After your tree is planted water it well. Add some mulch to the area around the tree, but don’t let it touch the tree. The mulch should be about 3-4 inches deep. Mulch could be wood chips, straw, or even leaves. Mulch helps keep the soil moist and keeps lawnmowers a safe distance away.

Watch it Grow! Water it some more Put up a fence You might have a few more things to do for a little while. Water your tree once a week if it doesn’t rain. If you have hungry rabbits or deer around, you might want to put a fence around your tree to protect it. Then it’s time to sit back and watch your tree grow! Put up a fence

This presentation is intended to be used for educational purposes, and may be downloaded or copied in its entirety for that purpose. No part, including photographs, may be copied for any other reason without permission. ©2009 LEAF Program and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Division of Forestry Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education College of Natural Resources University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point www.uwsp.edu/cnr/leaf

Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service, Bugwood.org Photos from forestryimages.org Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service, Bugwood.org Richard Webb, Self-employed horticulturist, Bugwood.org Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte, Bugwood.org   Richard Webb, Self-employed horticulturist, Bugwood.org USDA Forest Service - Region 8 Archive, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Bill Cook, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Bill Cook, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org Thomas D. "Tom" Landis, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Steven Katovich, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Joseph LaForest, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org