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Plant a Tree for Earth Day

Now that your Kansas City mover has left and you are getting settled in your new home, it is time to think about landscaping.

Earth Day and Arbor Day are coming in April. Celebrate the benefits of trees and make a wise investment by planting a shade tree in your yard. But before you plant, take some advice from the experts to help your new tree live a long time. Fe careful: a hole dug too deep is a sure way to kill a tree.

Some more planting guidelines:

Measure the height and diameter of the root ball or root spread.

Dig the hole just deep enough to allow the first structural root to be at level grade. The hole’s diameter should be two to three times the diameter of the root ball or root spread.

Set the tree in the center of the hole. The tree should be planted so that the base of the tree trunk where the roots begin to flare out is visible and above grade.

Fill with soil from the planting hole, using water to pack or settle the soil around the root ball. Do not tamp soil by stepping on it.

Mulch the planting area with 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch such as wood chips. Do not mulch up to or against the trunk. Start the mulch six inches away from the tree trunk.

Fertilizing is not recommended at the time of planting.

(Photo attributed to Flickr member @amyfry2000 via the Creative Commons license.)