If you want to know how to plant a tree, read these instructions that we bring for you. Trees are great friends that, apart from beautifying a land, help us with our health conditions, as they clean the air and give us oxygen, attract animals such as beautiful birds, can cool streets and prevent erosion. Planting a tree is not difficult, but it is not just about opening a hole and putting the tree in it, there are several factors that must be taken into account, such as the land where it is going to be planted, the climate, the most suitable plants and including the laws in your area.
What is your goal when planting a tree?
Why do you want to plant one or several trees? Do you want, for example, to beautify your house? Or do you want to do it because it comes to you and you are going to enjoy it? Do you want to attract some animals with the planting of your tree and be able to observe how beautiful nature is? Having a clear objective will help you when making the decision of the tree species and the place.
The weather
It is important that you think about the climate of the area where you live and get advice on what is best, so that your tree develops well and grows healthy.
The earth
You must carefully analyze the land that you have within your property, drainage is very important, erosion, and neighboring trees, as all these are elements that will influence your tree to develop properly.
If you are in a very steep terrain, you should know that the tree may not be able to take root well, so it may not be a good idea to plant the tree. If what you want is to plant a tree to be able to fight against erosion, you should plant one that already has a strong root so that the winds and rains do not drag it away. It is very important that you analyze the land and the environment well so that on the one hand it fits aesthetically convenient and on the other so that it has enough space to grow, and thus does not end up with other existing trees and plants.
The law
You have to check the laws of your community well, see what requirements they have when it comes to digging or planting a tree, so you can be sure if you can plant your tree, because local laws could prohibit you from planting the tree or even make you pay some penalty. These laws generally prohibit digging and planting near electricity or telephone cables, as well as poles. If you have already read the laws well, also check with the public service companies in your area, to find out if you will have any problems, since the idea is not to disturb or hurt anyone.
The professionals
If you have any questions about planting trees, it is worth looking for a professional, an arborist who can help you, tell him what your wishes are and analyze them together with local conditions, so he will help you find what the best tree is for you and then proceed to planting.
The purchase of the tree
When you have already made a good study of the land, the climate and the laws, you can now go buy a small tree to plant, you will already know which one is the most suitable according to the climate where you are, your region and your type of garden. If you buy a tree native to your region, you will run fewer risks, it will most certainly do very well in its growth, it will be much easier for you to take care of a native tree than to deal with another species, it is also good that you know that those trees that they are found in a sack with their roots free, they tend to develop better than those trees that are found in a container or pot.
The time
You have to analyze well what is the best time to plant your tree, this is very important if you want your tree to grow beautiful and healthy, this will depend both on the type of tree and the region where you live. Plantings should generally be done when the tree is not in a flowering stage and in a cool or cold time of year; it is worth consulting when it is best to plant the tree, many university extensions have this service.
Preparing the tree
Once you have acquired your tree you must prepare it for planting, it is important so that it can develop correctly and survive. If you have bought a sapling, you must put it upside down and then take it out of its container, if you have bought them in burlap you must cut it when you have already planted it.
If the tree is a little bigger, beyond having sprouted, you will have to cut through the packaging and if it is in burlap, wait to cut it once it is planted. If there is a wire you should remove it. You should always ensure that the roots preserve the soil and avoid moving them a lot, and do not leave the roots out of their burlap or container for a long period of time. If you are going to sow a seed it will be a more complicated method, you must germinate the seed, sow it just at the right time and take more care of it, first you will have to do the germination process in a container and then pass it.
Planting the tree
Take a good look at the point where you want to plant it and mark it, draw a large circle with a color that you can visualize, then you must measure the root ball to know how deep you must dig the hole; then start digging with a shovel, the hole should be big enough for the tree to fit in and be able to grow while rooting, make it about 90cm wider than the tree and as deep as the root ball
Once you have dug, take the tree and gently insert it into the hole. If you see that it does not fit well, you should remove it and widen the excavation; once you have inserted the tree, see which is its best side and turn it as you prefer; now you must proceed to fill the hole you made, do it by mixing the soil you already dug with a little compost; you must have enough soil, which must support the roots and at the same time give them room to grow, it may be necessary to put some stakes around your tree, especially if it is a sapling, this will help it grow during its first year, it will be more difficult for the wind to knock it over and its roots will establish themselves correctly.
Take care of your tree
Once your tree is planted you should start taking care of it, water it and make a schedule for this, at first you should do it daily, you can use a layer of mulch surrounding your tree in order to maintain its humidity and keep the weeds away; You should be checking to see if you have to prune any twig that is broken, dry or sick and that’s it, go take care of your tree and enjoy it, you should keep checking its humidity to see that it does not lack water and if it lacks you must water it.
