How to Plant Container (& B&B) Trees
March 23, 2022
With Spring just around the corner in North Dakota, trees may be on your mind. Container and B&B trees are very popular for tree planting with homeowners and commercial property owners alike. They are grown in nurseries in containers to different sizes, and are then can be planted on your property at an already substantial size.
Container trees may be of just about any size from a 1 gallon trade size container to a very large balled in burlap (B&B) tree that can weigh in at over 450lbs and require specially equipped machinery to plant! Regardless of the size, there are some basic guidelines to follow when planting container trees. We will discuss a few of the key points here.
First and foremost is to select a site. If you don't have a site to plant, well then you cannot plant. There are many items to consider when selecting a site such as the volume of space available, other uses in the space, soil conditions, grade, water availability, and other plant life. Make sure that you do your homework to ensure the site you have selected will be appropriate not just today, but for the life of the tree.
After you have a site selected, you must then choose the tree. The tree should fit the space physically, but also compliment other existing plant life, structures and the airspace above. A Spruce tree may be only 2-3' when planted, but they can grow to be over 100' tall and live for hundreds of years. Be sure there are no utilities near and overhead. The tree should be a native species to the location or one that has been shown to be hardy for the soil and climate. Growing zones are a good start, but other needs for the tree like soil type and condition, water needs, sunlight, heat, drought are all considerations. The USDA and your local universities will usually have some very good resources for specific species and for your locale. Use these resources to aid in your selection of species.
After selecting a species you will have to decide on the size you would like to purchase the tree in. Not all trees will be available in all sizes. select the size that suits your desired beginning appearance, your budget, and your ability to move/handle/plant the tree. Do not choose an 8' tall B&B Colorado "Fat Albert" Spruce if you do not have heavy equipment to handle it with or are not going to hire a contractor/nursery to do the planting. The root balls of container trees are less susceptible to damage than bare root, but still must be handled with great care.
Once you have your site, you will need to prepare it for planting. Start by removing the vegetation in a circle about 3-4x the diameter of the tree container. Then dig a hole that is the same depth as the container and 3-4x the diameter. This is done to allow for proper root growth, water permeability and retainage.
To remove the tree from the container lay the tree on it's side. Then gently roll and tap around the outside of the container to loosen it from the soil/root ball. Do not yank the tree from the container as it may cause the tree to separate from the root ball. Check the root ball once out of the container. If the roots appear to have been constrained or are circling the outside, you may use a trowel or knife to cut an "X" on the bottom, and score the sides of the root ball to stimulate outward growth.
Gently handle and lift the tree from the root ball. Place the tree into the center of the hole. Check to see that the root collar or base of the tree is at or above the surrounding soil level. If needed gently lift the tree again from the root ball and add soil beneath to raise the tree to this level. Then level the tree in the same manner so that the trunk is straight upright.
Once the tree has been satisfactorily placed, begin to fill around the root ball with the loose soil from digging the hole. start at the base of the root ball, and tamp the soil as you go to eliminate air pockets and prevent the tree from settling later on. Fill to the surrounding grade, then make a water holding basin around the edges of the disturbed earth. Fill this area with mulch to a depth of 2-4 inches. Do not allow the mulch to remain in contact with the base of the tree. This can cause mildew and disease.
After mulching give the tree a deep soaking watering. watering slowly for a long period of time will allow the water to soak deep into the soil and wet every part of the soil around the root ball. The soil and mulch around the tree should be kept moist, but not soggy. Newly planted trees should be watered every week when rains are not sufficient to maintain moist soil.
Remove any tags or other materials from the tree. Stakes and straps may be needed to stabilize the tree from wind. Be sure that any strap used does not completely Wrap around any part of the tree. Rather it should contact and support the tree from one side, and additional straps may be added to stabilize from opposing directions. Tags or other materials wrapped around the trunk or branches may damage the tree as it grows or by scarring as they blow in the wind.
If you need additional information, assistance or are unsure of any of the steps of planting container or B&B trees contact us at https://TreeRows4U.com/Contact-Us. Thank you for reading.
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