1. How to Plant Your New Tree

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.]

7. 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?

8. 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?

9. 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?

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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