Planting
When planting a street tree, in the right-of-way, adjacent to your property; “a public tree,” consider the following:
Street Tree Permit Application Form
• First of all what is a public tree?
• Trees should not obstruct the view of oncoming cars. Click here for Clear View Triangle parameters.
• Learn more about regulations regarding a tree in the right-of-way.
• A no cost permit is required to plant a tree in the right-of-way. If you submit a Street Tree Permit Application Form you must have a Certified Arborist perform the work.
• Click Right Tree Right Place to learn why it is important to consider the site before choosing the tree.
• Now you can choose an appropriate tree for the site you have.
• Finally learn how to plant a tree correctly.
Click HERE for a Standard Planting Diagram or click HERE for a diagram showing how to plant a tree within a sidewalk.
Give your tree a healthy start:
1. Hydrate the tree well by soaking it for at least an hour, even a day before it is to be planted. It is important to wash off most of the soil surrounding the roots of the newly purchased tree. This enables the roots to better acclimate to the native soil and for water to be available to those roots.
2. Do not loosen the soil at the base of the planting hole as this soil will settle causing the tree to be buried too deeply.
3. Be sure to make the sides of the planting hole rough so water can permeate more easily.
4. Never lift a tree by the trunk. The tree’s vascular system is just inside the bark and if the tree is young with thin bark this action may inhibit growth.
5. Remove all fabric wrap, wire, or basket around the tree and root ball that may inhibit strong growth.
6. Make sure roots are loosened and not wrapping around the tree. Be especially careful if the tree was containerized when purchased. You may need to sever part of a root to encourage outward growth. If the tree is planted with the roots circling around they will continue to do so in the planting hole and will eventually girdle and kill the tree.
7. The most common cause of a tree to fail is the result of being planted too deeply. In the past a common rule was to plant a tree no deeper than it was planted at the nursery. Many times the nurseries will plant their trees too deeply. A better way is to make sure the flare of the tree trunk is 1-2” above the soil surface. Sometimes this means pulling away the soil and maybe small roots down off the trunk to find the natural flare of the tree.
8. After the tree is seated in hole, back fill with native soil; not amended mix. Make a small well around the perimeter of the hole and water thoroughly.
9. Mulch with organic matter to 3” deep only to the edge of the exposed root ball away from the trunk.
Staking young landscape trees is a very common, yet often unnecessary practice. If stakes are installed they should be removed after one year of growth. Removing stakes allows the tree to sway in the wind, which helps the trunk increase in girth and strength. Another reason to remove the stakes is that the straps can strangle the tree if left on too long. The girdling that results can hinder the flow of water and nutrients in the tree and create a weak spot in the trunk.
