Planting B&B Tree Nursery Stock

B&B PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS 1. On Evergreens, leave branches tied up until done watering in. Makes job alot easier :) Trees are usually tagged on the best viewable side. Tree ball can be picked up by forks on sides or scooping in bucket or connecting chain on 2 points on the wire basket. By leaving the ropes on the wire, you hold the ball together so tree does not rock in the wind. The ropes will rot away in about a month or so after tree is established. Plant root ball in hole wide enough to be able to adjust for being straight. Plant level with ground, making sure not too deep. In clay soil, plant 3" high out of ground. Then mound up dirt on ball to cover all the burlap and ropes. To water the trees in, I recommend building a dike with the dirt that came out to make the hole for the tree around the outside edge of the ball. Then taking a garden hose with the water running, push the hose in the ground around the edge of the ball of the newly planted tree about 1' or so into the ground to make sure all the air pockets are out. At the same time the dike will fill up with water. Then go on to the next tree and water etc. After this, come back to the first tree and check for openings where the water went down. Take the hose and wash some dirt in with water or move some with a shovel. Repeat above pushing hose into ground around tree ball. Very Important: You want to make sure there are no air pockets when done. And that the top of the burlap and ropes that hold the tree in wire basket are covered with a little dirt, so as not to wick water out. Due to the size of your trees and depending on how exposed your site is, I would do some staking of the trees for the summer to make sure they don't move to side. This may be necessary on trees over 8' tall. After this, if watering by hose, fill up dike 1 or 2 times a week depending upon how much rain you are getting, air temperatures, and your soil type. 2. I recommend fertilizing after the ground has no more air pockets with a low nitrogen fertilizer and watering in. 3. Tips: Wear rubber gloves and maybe rain coat & rain pants as the water sprays back at you some times. Or wear your bathing suit :) To avoid bending over to push hose into the ground, take a 3/4" galvanized pipe about 4' long and put a 90o elbow on top; then a female garden hose adapter to hook your garden hose to it.