Planting and Water Guide

Planting and Care Instructions for your new plant Planting from containers

1. Dig your hole a little wider than but only as deep as the container.
2. Remove plant from container.
3. Set root ball into the hole so that it sits 20% higher than the total root ball, usually 1‘to 3” above soil surface.
4. Backfill with equal parts of existing soil, and Bumper Crop or LeafGro and pack gently no soil on top of root ball ONLY mulch or gravel.
5. Please see the further care instructions for watering, fertilizing, and mulching guidelines.  

Planting Balled & Burlapped Trees

1. Dig a hole at little as wider than but only as deep as the root ball.
2. Remove any ties or straps that bind the burlap. If there is a wire basket leave it in place. Roll back, but do not remove, burlap from root ball so it will be below the soil surface.
3. Set root ball into the hole so that it sits 20” higher than the surrounding soil. Usually 1-3”
4. Backfill with equal parts existing soil, Bumper Crop, or LeafGro and pack gently. No soil on top of root ball ONLY mulch or gravel.
5. Please see the further care instructions for watering guidelines.

Further care instructions Watering Guidelines – there are no set schedules for watering just some well-established practices and guidelines to assist you

1. Plants cannot be over-watered in the short-run meaning a deep soak cannot be too much
2. Water 3 times per week for first three weeks, having a period of drying out between watering
3. 1 or 2 per week depending on weather conditions for remainder of first growing season
4. Always water at base of plant, never on foliage
5. There MUST be a period of drying out between watering
6. Deep soaking less often is more effective than small amounts more often
7. AM watering is ideal but following the above guideline is more important if time is a factor
8. 1” of water a week on established plants is a good guideline for remainder of life.  

Fertilizing

1. Do not fertilize first year.( WE fertilize all of our trees and shrubs). Next spring use a slow release (Osmocote) fertilizer as directed. Do not use water soluble kind.  

Mulching

1. 2-3” of mulch at drip line.
2. 1” for perennials, flowers