Tree Planting What you should know about a tree planting Tree Planting Trees to Plant: Easy Maintenance  Planting Trees: Landscaping Tree Planting Planting a tree so that it will thrive is a relatively easy process.  Make good use of the following tips to guarantee your trees stay alive and prosper. 1.  Make sure you dig a big enough hole.  A good rule of green thumb is to burrow out a space that is 2 to 5 times wider than the root ball of the tree.  Just remember, wider is better. 2.  Don't plant the tree too deep.  Many newly planted trees are unsuccessful due to being planted in a bottomless pit that is too deep into the ground.  A good tree planting hole depth is no deeper than the root ball of the tree that is being planted. 3.  If the tree to be planted is wrapped in burlap, be sure to remove the burlap including any nylon or twine before planting it. 4.  Do not add fertilizer to the newly planted tree.  Just plant the tree in the loosened soil that resulted from the hole that was dug to plant the tree in. 5.  Do not put too much soil on the root ball of the tree plant.  It is not necessary to cover the root ball with any more than ¼" of soil. 6.  Do use mulch.  Place a good 2-3 inches of mulch around a three foot radius of the newly planted tree.  Mulch assists with water retention. 7.  Do water your new tree.  Only stake the tree if it is truly a necessity. 8.  Do plant your tree in an energy reducing spot.  Doing so will help lower costs.  It has been scientifically proven that planting two trees on both the west and east sides of a home will offer the highest return on saving energy.