
BM ecestions for Planting 
Preparing Holes 
Dig the hole not less than 1 foot wider than the 
root area of the specimen it is to hold and from a 
foot to 2 feet in depth, according to the depth of its 
root system. If the soil is poor a few inches of rotted 
litter should be thrown into the bottom of the hole 
and dug in to the depth of 6 inches or more. If the 
soil at the bottom is hard, it should be broken up in | a 
pulverized state to a depth of a foot or so. 
Setting Tree 
To prepare the tree for setting go over the root 
system carefully and cut all the broken or bruised 
portions of the roots with a clean, sharp knife or 
pruning shears. In setting the tree spread the roots 
out naturally so that they will not be twisted or 
crowded, then fill in gradually with fine soil, working 
it carefully under and about the roots, so that no 
holes or air spaces will be left. If it is a deciduous 
plant, shake the tree or shrub up and down so as to 
pack the soil layer by layer, carefully tramping it 
down until it is firmly packed about the roots. Con- 
tinue this process until the hole is filled within 2 
inches from the top. The remainder of the soil 
should be used in a way to form a small basin around 
the tree. This is to keep the water from running 
away when applied. 
Mulching 
In the Fall, place a mulch of dry leaves, hay or well 
rotted stable litter about the base of each tree. This 
mulch should be 6 inches deep and extend 2 to 3 feet 
beyond the natural spread of the roots. 
Weigh down with dirt, light slats or boards to 
prevent wind from blowing off during Winter. If well 
rotted straw, hay or stable litter has been used, spade 
in well around the base of each tree in the Spring. 
Any mulch that is of no value should be removed in 
early Spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground. 
Watering 
When dry weather comes on in the latter part of 
June, July, August and early September, it will be 
necessary to water newly planted evergreens, espe- 
cially for the first two or three years after trans- 
planting. A thorough watering twice a week is far 
more beneficial than a daily sprinkling of the topsoil. 
Cultivation 
Don’t wait for your evergreens to begin to show 
signs of suffering before you start cultivation. Start 
keeping the soil stirred up immediately after planting. 
Frequent cultivation is the secret of moisture con- 
servation. The ground must be kept loose and mellow 
by cultivating weekly. 
