How large of a hole should be dug when planting a tree? (2024)

FAQs

How large of a hole should be dug when planting a tree? ›

Answer: When planting balled and burlapped and container-grown trees in well-drained soils, dig a hole that is 2 to 3 times wider than the diameter of the tree's rootball. The depth of the hole should be 2 or 3 inches less than the height of the rootball.

How Wide to Dig a Hole when Planting a Tree. When planting a tree, plan on digging a hole at least twice the width of the tree's rootball. Here's the reason: Contrary to what you may think, most tree roots run more horizontal than vertical and they are somewhat shallow as opposed to deep.

Holes should be 2–3 times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the root ball. 3. If wrapped, remove any cover from around the root ball and trunk to facilitate root growth. Remove wire basket or cut one or two rings off so it is low-profile and will not interfere with future root growth.

Numerous people have complained the planting crews dug the hole only wide enough to fit the box. After that, a little bit of mulch was mixed with the soil, watered in and called good. That's no deal. The tree will decline and maybe die in a couple of years because of these poor planting techniques.

Shovels, spades and forks are the most common implements. For bigger jobs, a digging bar, post hole digger, mattock or pick may be necessary. Power tools, such as tillers and augers, can actually make digging fun.

Fill the plant hole with water while preparing the site to eliminate air pockets in the soil. If planting in poorly-draining soil, the hole may be dug so that up to one-third of the root ball is above the ground. To determine if you have a poorly-draining soil, fill the plant hole with water.

Dig a hole 3 to 4 times wider than the container.

FIFTEEN GALLON POT

Weight of this size of container with soil and plant is usually sixty to ninety pounds. It's size is 15 to 16 inches wide and 16 inches deep. Note how this size pot usually has a nice carrying lip at the top of the pot.

30-Gallon Tree | Pricing is Subject to Size and Species: Approximately 8-10 feet tall, caliper ranges from 1.5-2”, and container grown.

The planting hole depth should be 1 to 2 inches less than the height of the root ball (adjusting for proper planting depth in the root ball as described above). If the hole is dug too deep, backfill and pack the bottom to the proper depth.

How far down do you plant a tree? ›

The measure for tree planting depth is the tree's root flare. Sometimes called trunk flare or root collar, this is the area just above where the topmost roots emerge from the trunk.

Particularly for small-seeded crops like forage legumes or wild-type grasses, planting too deep is a common cause for stand establishment failure. As a general rule, proper seeding depth is typically three times the maximum seed width.

Modern methods require that you dig a much wider hole - two to five times as wide as the root ball and even wider on sites with very poor, compacted soil. The hole sides should be slanted and the hole should be no deeper than the root ball is tall, so it can be placed directly on undisturbed soil.

Simply unpot the plant, place the root ball on the ground at the desired location … then cover it with a mound of earth the same height as the root ball and at least three times wider. Over time, the roots will not only reach into the soil all around, but descend deeper into the ground all on their own.

Fill the hole with soil and water again to settle the soil. Repeat this until the soil in the planting hole is level with the surrounding soil. Mulching is one of the best things that we can do for a plant or one of the worst things we can do to a plant. Mulch should be 2 to 3-inches deep.

The width of the planting hole should be 2-3 times the width of the root ball. New roots can grow into disturbed and loosened soil much easier than growing into undisturbed and compacted soil. By loosening the soil around the hole, the tree is able to become established much more quickly.

Dig a hole that is twice the width of the root ball. By digging a planting hole that is wider than the root ball, you are creating soil conditions that allow newly developing roots to establish and grow. The planting hole should be no deeper than the root ball itself.

Trees should be planted with the root flare, or where the trunk starts to develop roots, level or 1-2 inches above the level of the soil. Tree trunks should never be buried in order to stabilize the tree, so we recommend that you stake your trees if you are worried they may blow over in the wind.

The general rule of thumb is, for every inch of tree trunk diameter, give the root ball 9 to 12 inches in diameter and at least 6 inches of depth. Note: This step is not as important if you are not keeping the tree, nor doing any underground excavation work in which tree roots would be disruptive.