Pointers on Planting 



inches in diameter and the soil is com- 

 pact, adhering firmly, simply undercut 

 the ball and tip it over on a square of 

 burlap. Then lift the ball from the 

 hole. Next, draw burlap tight around 

 the ball and pin it in place with nails. 

 If the soil is loose or the ball diameter 

 exceeds 18 inches, reinforce the pinning 

 with heavy cord, net fencing, or light 

 rope drawn around the ball. The pin- 

 ning and roping should be completed 

 in the hole before lifting. Digging is 

 easier and balls hold together better if 

 the soil is fresh. Take advantage of 

 periods immediately following rains to 

 move trees. 



Balls too large to lift by direct man- 

 power require the use of platforms and 

 rollers. Trees requiring ball diameters 

 of 4 feet or greater are best moved with 

 special machinery. Moving large trees 

 is a job for experts, not one that the 

 average home owner should attempt 

 on his own. But it is well to remember 

 that large trees can be moved success- 

 fully and that throughout the country 

 there are arborists equipped to under- 

 take such jobs which are often diffi- 

 cult and cost accordingly. 



PLANTING: Schedule the planting 

 job so that all soil preparation is com- 

 pleted and all holes dug before the 

 plants are brought in. This will reduce 

 the length of time the trees need to be 

 out of the ground. 



The steps in planting bare-rooted 

 and balled stock are somewhat dif- 

 ferent. 



For bare-rooted stock : 



First, inspect the hole to see that it 

 has a flat bottom and is deep enough 

 and wide enough to accommodate the 

 roots freely without any cramping. 



Second, shovel 3 to 4 inches of top- 

 soil or prepared soil into the bottom 

 of the hole. Heap up a mound in the 

 center of the hole at the spot where 

 the base of the trunk will rest. The 

 mound should be large enough to pre- 

 vent formation of air pockets as the 

 soil packs and recedes. 



Third, inspect the roots and prune 

 off any ragged ends. Insert tree and 



fill in the earth to hold the tree at about 

 the depth it had in its former location. 



Fourth, spread out the roots to ap- 

 proximately their original position, 

 and shovel in backfill of topsoil or pre- 

 pared soil to hold them in place. 

 Trample the soil carefully around the 

 trunk and roots to prevent excessive 

 settling of soil away from the roots, 

 taking care not to scuff any bark from 

 the roots or base of trunk. 



Fifth, when the hole is nearly filled, 

 pour in several gallons of water. Water 

 will cause rapid settling of soil and 

 bring it into close contact with the 

 roots. After free water has disappeared, 

 fill in the hole level with the adjoining 

 ground. Add more filling later if the 

 soil continues to settle. To reduce run- 

 off during subsequent watering, build 

 up a small ridge around the hole. 



For trees planted with a ball of soil: 



First, see that the hole is at least a 

 foot wider than the ball diameter and 

 about 5 inches deeper than the ball. 



Second, heap up a low mound in 

 the center of the hole. Measure the 

 depth of the ball as accurately as it is 

 possible, then adjust mound height to 

 insure leaving the tree at the same level 

 it held in its former location. Lower 

 the tree into the hole, then shovel 

 in enough soil at the base of the ball 

 to hold it in place. 



Third, remove the burlap and shovel 

 in topsoil or prepared soil until the 

 hole is about half full. Tramp down to 

 reduce air pockets. 



Fourth, fill the hole with water, and 

 when this has soaked away, fill with 

 soil up to ground level. 



Fifth, build up a 3- to 4-inch ridge 

 around the outer edge of the ball to 

 reduce runoff from watering. If the 

 ball is compact, of heavy texture, and 

 much drier than adjoining backfill, ex- 

 amine the ball to see whether it is ab- 

 sorbing water. The tendency is for 

 water to percolate downward and out- 

 ward into the looser, lighter textured 

 adjoining soil, leaving the ball dry. If 

 this is happening, take special pre- 

 cautions to see that the ball is ade- 

 quately moistened at the start. 



