How to Plant Trees With Burlap Root Balls

Handle burlap trees carefully to protect their fragile roots.

Balled and burlapped trees are grown differently than container grown varieties, which spend their entire lives in a pot. Balled and burlapped trees, on the other hand, are grown in fields until they are three to five years old. They are then scooped out of the ground with heavy machinery. Their newly-exposed roots are covered with burlap. Because their roots are more delicate and the shock of uprooting is still fresh, the burlap root ball trees require gentler care than their container grown counterparts.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Aged compost
• Hose
• Scissors
• Knife

Instructions

1. Dig a hole that is three times the diameter and slightly deeper than the tree's burlap-covered root ball.

2. Fill the hole with water.

3. Place the burlap-covered roots in the hole and allow the water to drain.

4. Set aside one-third of the displaced soil and mix it with an equal amount of aged compost.

5. Remove the twine and burlap from the roots. Work carefully to disturb the roots as little as possible. The burlap may cling stubbornly to the roots. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut the burlap away. Take care not to cut any of the roots. If you leave a few strips behind, the tree will survive. If you have to do a lot of manipulating, work quickly or the roots will dry out.

6. Plant the tree in the hole with the amended soil so that the top of the root ball is roughly 1 inch higher than the surrounding soil. You may have to backfill some of the amended soil to achieve the appropriate height.

7. Create a 3- to 4-inch high berm or dam around the planting hole with some of the unamended soil. Fill the berm with water and allow it to drain. Water this way whenever the top few inches of the soil dry out.

Tips & Warnings

• Spring and fall are the best times to plant new trees.

• Plant burlap trees as soon as you get it home. Otherwise, the roots may dry out.

• Holes dug in clay soil have a tendency to glaze and trap water. Avoid this by scraping the sides of the holes with your shovel.

• Always lift burlap trees by the ball, not the trunk.

References

• Tree Help: How to Plant a Tree
• Buckeye Gardening; Planting Balled and Burlap-wrapped Plants; Fred Hower