Tree Planting Guide

Tree Planting Guide

K&K Gardens – Hawkeye, Iowa

www.kkgardens.com 563-427-5373

  1. Dig hole 6” deeper and wider than the tree pot. 
  2. Place 6” loose soil in the bottom of hole. You may need more, so the top of the tree root ball is no deeper than a ¼” of the surrounding ground. 
  3. Place four tablespoons of Osmocote in the bottom of the hole. 
  4. Remove the pot, and place the root ball in hole. Make sure the top of the root ball is NO deeper than a ¼” than the surrounding ground. 
  5. Do NOT cover the graft point (knob on lower trunk) with soil, or mulch. Leave it exposed. The tree will grow around it, and this graft point will disappear in a few years. The graft is the STRONGEST part of the tree. 
  6. Once situated in the hole, have a second person hold the tree steady and straight. Fill voids with loose soil, lightly packing the soil, while adding water. 
  7. Place four more tablespoons of Osmocote on the ground around the tree. 
  8. Once planted, pound two metal T posts into the ground approximately 3’ from the tree trunk, in opposing directions. Make sure the posts are outside of the hole you just dug. 
  9. Use an old garden hose approximately two feet long, with wire inserted through the hose (as illustrated below). You need one hose/wire combination per post. Once wire is inserted, bend the hose/wire combo so it fits around the trunk 3-4’ above the ground. Secure wire ends to each post. If hose/wire combo supports are not placed above a branch, make sure the wire is connected to the post securely. Otherwise, the wire/hose combo will wiggle itself downward, and could damage the tree.

Leave the posts connected for 1 full year. 

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Updated

January 16, 2023

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