How to Dig to Plant Evergreen Trees

Evergreen trees remain green all winter.

Evergreen trees can be a welcome enhancement to your landscape, providing shade and privacy. Evergreen trees include trees with needles, such as fir and spruce, and some trees with leaves, such as magnolia. Plant trees from a container, or wrap the root ball in` burlap. The best time to plant evergreen trees is from fall through late winter, when the trees are dormant and the ground is not frozen. Plant the trees in the same type of soil in which they were started.

Things You'll Need

• Organic matter (optional)
• Shovel or spade
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Locate a well-drained place in the landscape that receives full sun. Ensure sufficient open area to accommodate the mature size of the tree.

2. Spread 1 to 3 inches of organic matter, like leaf mold or compost, over the planting surface if desired. The organic matter can then be worked into the soil as the hole is dug.

3. Dig the hole for the tree using a spade or shovel. Dig the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and about 1 inch shallower than the height of the root ball.

4. Remove the evergreen tree from the container and examine the roots. Use your fingers to loosen any roots that are wrapping around the root ball. For a ball and burlap tree, keep the burlap secured to the root ball.

5. Place the root ball in the center of the hole. The top of the root ball should be slightly above the level of the surrounding ground. Add or remove dirt from the hole if necessary.

6. Back-fill the hole halfway with the soil removed from the hole. You may also amend the soil first with organic matter.

7. Water around the root ball to compress the soil. For a ball and burlap root ball, remove the tie that secured the burlap at the top. Fold the burlap down to expose the top half of the root ball.

8. Finish back-filling the hole. Water again to compress the soil, adding more soil if needed. Do not place soil on top of the root ball.

9. Apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch, like pine bark or leaf mold, around the tree and out to cover the worked soil. Keep the mulch about 3 inches from the trunk of the tree.

10. Water twice monthly during the winter but only if there is no precipitation in the form of rainfall or snow. In the spring, commence watering deeply about every two weeks if there is no rainfall. After the first year, rainfall alone should be sufficient water for the tree, though in particularly dry periods, a deep watering will help.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact your utility companies to request they examine the planned planting area for buried pipes or wires.

• A berm can be created around the drip line or root ball. The berm, made of soil mounded 4 to 6 inches high, will direct water to the roots of the evergreen tree. The drip line is an imaginary circle on the ground equal to reach of the longest limbs of the tree.

References

• Colorado State University Extension: Evergreen Trees
• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service: Planting Techniques for Trees and Shrubs

Resources

• Ohio State University Extension: Ohio State University Factsheet