How to
Plant a Tree
Planting Your Tree Friend!
Tools Needed:
1. Dig a Hole: Dig the hole for your Tree Friend wide enough to allow about 12 inches of clearance all the way around the tree's container. Dig the hole deep enough to allow the tree to rest in the hole with it's soil mark slightly higher than ground level. Putting the soil in one pile makes it much easier to refill the hole!
2. Place Your Tree Friend Gently in the Hole: Carefully remove your Tree Friend from it's container and place it gently in the hole. Hold the tree upright in the hole while another participant walks all the way around it to make certain the tree looks straight from all directions. Check again for proper planting depth.
3. Fill in the Hole: Gently but firmly fill in the hole using soil from your neat little pile and moistening each layer of soil with water. You might want to use the handle end of your shovel to help tamp the soil and remove all air spaces. We do not recommend using your feet to pack the soil, as this may make it too hard for the roots to spread. Mound the earth so that when the soil settles it will return to ground level. You may also want to rake a ridge of soil around the rim of the hole. This will help keep water around your Tree Friend when it is watered.
4. Mulch Your Tree Friend: Mulching helps keep the moisture around the root system of your Tree Friend and protects the roots from extreme hot and cold temperatures. There are a variety of mulches you can use, such as wood chips, leaf litter, pine straw, peat moss, or shredded bark. A two- to four-inch layer of mulch is ideal. Mulching is a great job for younger family members.
5. Stake Your Tree Friend (if necesasary): If your Tree Friend is too tall to stand alone or has a less developed root system, staking it will help your tree remain upright until it is strong enough to stand on its own. Drive two or three stakes into the ground just outside the ridge of earth. Attach a broad, soft woven cloth to each stake, wrap the cloth around the tree trunk and attach the second end of the cloth to the stake. Remove the stakes after the tree becomes firmly rooted and well established. Tree stakes also help smaller trees to become more noticable and, thus, less likely to be accidentally injured.
6. Water Your Tree Friend: Now it's time to water. Watering the tree right away will help your Tree Friend settle into its "new home" and will help it absorb essential nutrients from the soil. A thorough watering will also help the soil settle and allow the roots to be happy.
7. It's Clean-Up Time! Your tree will stand beautiful and proud in an area that has been cleaned up after the planting. Be sure to clean and put away all tools and recycle any materials you can.
Copyright 1992-2009 Tree Celebrations, Planting and Celebrating Trees with Ceremonies, Stories & Activities
by Ilan Shamir, Your True Nature, Inc.
Available on the Your True Nature webstore.