How to plant your new tree

Thank you for picking up your new tree at a Keep Durham Beautiful tree giveaway! The following guidance is designed to help you plant and care for your tree. A well planted and maintained tree is a tree that lasts longer, looks better and has the most ecological benefits. They will also save money and time!

Tools and resources:

Below are the list of tools and materials that will be helpful to plant and care for your tree:

• Compost: Compost can be purchased through garden stores or made at home. Check out City of Durham’s Composting page for more details to make your own.

• Wood Chips or Mulch: Wood chips can be found for free through local tree care services like Leaf and Limb and Treeist.

• Shovel: Shovels can be found at any hardware store or borrowed from KDB’s Tool Lending Library for free.

Planting guide

Planting your tree is easy, we promise. Follow these steps, but first: Make sure you have the right location. Plant your tree 15ft from buildings, 3ft from pavement and 25ft from utility lines. Make sure you are aware of any underground lines as well. If you are unsure, call 811 before you dig. We want to think of sunlight as well. Generally, trees prefer cool morning sun and then shade in the afternoon.

Step 1: Use your shovel to carefully dig a shallow and wide hole that is just deep enough to accommodate the tree's roots comfortably. It is important to ensure that the tree is not planted too deeply; the root collar, which is the area of the tree trunk that flares outwards at the base, should remain above the ground to promote healthy growth and development.

Step 2: Remove the tree from its container, loosen the soil, and untangle the roots to help it adapt before placing it in the center. It may help to form a soil mound in the hole to support the tree. Ensure it is straight and that branches are facing away from buildings.

How to care for your tree

Watering: Water your tree deeply every other day for 6-8 weeks after planting. Your tree will also need lots of water in the spring and summer in the first two years. Water slowly to allow the water to penetrate deep into the soil. Make sure the entire root area is saturated. If you have a hose that can reach the newly planted tree turn it on at a slow trickle and place the end of the hose in the area of the roots, pretty close to the trunk in young trees.

Mulching: Since mulch is so important for overall tree health, reapply mulch annually if possible. To learn more about mulching see this article by NC Urban Forestry Council.

Pruning: Your tree needs help since it’s not in a regular forest. Pruning helps young trees grow strong and can prevent problems later on. Leaf and Limb offers a detailed video and article on structural pruning. Here are some quick tips:

• Most trees have one straight leading branch or trunk. Branches should be 1/2 the size of the central leader or trunk.

• If your tree has several main trunks growing from the soil, it has a vase shape. Prune each trunk as above. To establish fewer main trunks, cut the unwanted trunks at the soil level.

• When cutting a branch, make sure to cut from the bottom first to prevent the branch from taking off bark or splitting if it falls.

• Cut at an angle just outside the branch collar, which is the thicker bark at the base of a branch. Leaving the branch collar intact helps trees heal from the cut.

• You can trim branches that compete with the main branch by making a reduction cut, which shortens the competing branch. Be careful not to cut the main branch or trunk.

Thanks to Leaf and Limb and The NC Urban Forestry Council for the use of their knowledge and materials in this page.