Most problems with new trees and shrubs come from how they were planted, not when. Follow these steps, based on current university extension and arborist guidance, to give your fall plantings the best possible start.
What you’ll need
- Round-point shovel
- Garden fork or hand cultivator
- Pruners or a knife for circling roots
- Tarp for excavated soil
- Hose or watering can
- Wood chips or shredded-bark mulch
- Tape measure
Step by step
- Pick the right plant for the spot. Match the plant to your hardiness zone, sun or shade, drainage and the space it will fill at mature size. Read the plant tag for height and width.
- Call before you dig. In the U.S., call 811 a few days before digging so underground utility lines can be marked for free.
- Find the root flare. Locate where the trunk widens into the top roots. Remove excess soil or mulch from the top of the root ball until you can see it. That point should end up at, or slightly above, finished grade.
- Dig wide, not deep. Dig a saucer-shaped hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and only as deep as the distance from the root flare to the bottom of the ball. Roughen the sides of the hole so roots can escape into native soil.
- Prepare the roots. Slide container plants out and gently loosen or cut any roots circling the outside of the root ball. For balled-and-burlapped trees, set the tree in the hole first, then cut away the wire basket, twine and as much burlap as you can reach.
- Set the plant and backfill. Set the plant straight, with the root flare at or slightly above grade. Backfill with the native soil you removed, breaking up clods. Firm gently with your hands and water halfway through to settle soil and remove air pockets.
- Build a water ring and soak. Form a low ring of soil around the edge of the root ball to hold water, then soak the entire root zone slowly and deeply.
- Mulch. Spread 2–4 inches of wood chips or shredded bark over the planting area, keeping mulch several inches away from the trunk or stems.
- Water through fall. Keep the root ball moist, but not soggy, until the ground freezes, and resume in spring. See our watering schedule.
Should I amend the soil?
Older advice, including earlier versions of this website, recommended filling the hole with a mix of topsoil, compost and peat moss. Research has since shown that heavily amended backfill can hurt more than it helps. Roots tend to stay in the rich, fluffy soil of the planting hole instead of growing out into the surrounding ground, and the different soil textures can trap water.
Iowa State University Extension and other horticulturists now recommend backfilling with the native soil you dug out. If your whole bed has poor or compacted soil, improve the entire area instead. Oregon State University suggests working 3–4 inches of compost into the top 6–8 inches of soil across the bed. Or simply top-dress with compost and mulch and let soil life work it in.
Do new trees need staking?
Most don’t. Trees that can sway a little in the wind develop stronger trunks and roots. Stake only if the tree is top-heavy, bare-root, or in a very windy spot. Use wide, flexible ties set low on the trunk, and remove stakes after one growing season.
Moving an existing plant
Fall is also the best time to transplant shrubs and small trees you already own. Water the plant well a day ahead. Dig as wide a root ball as you can handle, keep it intact, and replant it at the same depth right away. Then water and mulch it like a new planting.
What about fertilizer?
Skip it at planting time. University of Kentucky specialists note that consistent watering during the first year or two matters far more than fertilizer. A soil test can tell you whether your garden needs anything at all.