Plant a tree

«He who plants trees will win heaven» Confucius

Planting a tree is a gift to the garden. Trees are hotspots for life. They provide habitat for animals and ensure a pleasant climate. And if you plant a fruit or nut tree, you can also harvest healthy food on a regular basis.
Here is a simple guide to help your tree thrive:

Choosing the right tree

The first thing you can do is figure out which tree you want to plant. Do you want to...

• a tree that gives you fruit or nuts?
• a small or a big tree?
• a deciduous or a coniferous tree?
• a tree that blooms particularly beautifully?
• a tree with particularly beautiful autumn colors?
• a native tree that is particularly valuable to the local ecosystem?

Once you have chosen your dream tree, it is best to consider the following questions:

• What are the requirements of soil, space, light and climate for your dream tree?
• How big will your tree be and could it potentially violate neighborhood laws?

We think this step is very important because a tree will be in your garden for a long time. Most trees will live longer than you. It is therefore better to plant the tree a year later than to have the wrong tree for a lifetime.

Find the right location

Choosing a location goes hand in hand with choosing a tree species. If you have already chosen a tree, imagine that it is already fully grown. What will your garden look like with this fully grown tree? Is there still enough space and sunlight for you?

Preparing the planting hole

Once you have found a suitable location, you can dig a planting hole. This should be twice as wide as the tree's root ball and deep enough to accommodate the root ball.
Make sure the planting hole is large enough so that roots don't have to be squeezed or bent. Once you've dug the hole, loosen the soil around the hole a little to make it easier for the roots to grow in.

Planting the tree

Now carefully place the tree in the planting hole, taking care not to damage any roots. Then fill the hole with the soil you dug out earlier and press it down lightly to avoid air pockets. Make sure that the tree is planted at the same depth as it was in the nursery. You can usually tell the old height by the discoloration of the trunk.

If your tree has an organic root ball cloth, you can open it up in the planting hole to give the tree more room. Make sure you remove all plastic from the root area.

Depending on the soil and the type of tree, it is also advisable to add fertilizer to the planting hole. Please find out in advance what your tree needs in terms of nutrients. If in doubt, it is usually better not to fertilize. For the topic of fertilizing trees, we recommend following article on fertilizing trees. 

You usually don't need to add any additional materials unless the soil is very nutrient-poor.

After planting, you should water the tree and the planting hole properly. This will eliminate air pockets. At the same time, the young tree needs a lot of water at the beginning.

Once the tree has been planted, there are the following accompanying measures that support the growth of the tree:

Regular watering

Freshly planted trees need a lot of water on a regular basis, as their root systems do not yet reach into the deeper layers of the soil. In this article you will find instructions on how to Watering trees.

mulching

We recommend a layer of mulch for the young tree. The mulch has two functions: Firstly, it reduces weeds that compete with the young tree. Woody plants without competition can grow faster in their first years. Secondly, it reduces the loss of soil moisture and at the same time creates better soil conditions for the tree roots.

You can find more information about mulching trees in this article.

When is the best time to plant a tree?

In German-speaking countries, there are two main times to plant a tree:

• Between September and December
• Between March and April

For most trees, we recommend planting between September and December. During this time, the soil is still warm and the trees can work on their roots for a while and then start growing in the spring.

For trees that are sensitive to cold, we recommend planting between March and April. This will avoid low winter temperatures. Most sensitive trees will then become more winter-hardy after a few years. The younger a tree, the more sensitive it is to cold or heat.

Important: When planting, consider not only the month, but also the current weather conditions. If there is a strong cold snap or heat, it is better to postpone planting the tree. A day with mild weather and cloudy skies is ideal for planting.

Caring for the tree

You can find all important information about caring for a tree in this article.