Click HERE for a printable form of these instructions
• Place the trees in a half filled 5 gallon bucket of water. They can stay there for 4-5 hours if necessary. This will prepare and rehydrate the plants for planting outside.
• Decide where you want to plant your trees. Mark a spot with a flag, stick, or whatever marker you have around the house.
• Dig a hole to accommodate the roots of the trees without folding or bending them back in toward the plant. You may trim off one particularly long root but try not to eliminate too many roots. Generally, holes should be about 18-24” wide and about 15-20” deep.
• Place only one tree in each hole. When placing the tree make sure its graft union- this will appear like a knot or kink at the base of the tree- is ABOVE the soil line. We recommend about 2” between the graft union and soil. There often is a slight color or texture difference between the graft and the roots.
• Fill the hole surrounding the roots with the loose dirt and pack in tightly. The soil should NOT cover the graft union. Make sure the tree is vertical though the root can point in any direction. ● Note: If you have very clumpy soil, break large chunks apart so the roots can grow through the clumps. If you have a lot of clay in the soil- mix in some sand to loosen up the soil a bit so water drains away from the roots.
• Water the tree. Don’t inundate the tree with water- you might splash away all the dirt you just packed into the hole. A small stream from a hose or bucket to soak the area first is best.
• Spread mulch or wood chips to help keep the soil around the tree moist, but not saturated. IMPORTANT: Leave a space about 8” across around the base of the tree. Water every 3 or 4 days for about 5 minutes unless it rains.
Click HERE for a printable form of these instructions