Planting
Plant Material Maintenance
Transplanting Systems
Bare Root
 Containers
 Ball and Burlap
 Tree Spade

Bare Root
Dormant plants usually planted in early spring.

Advantages
 Light
weight.
 Low cost.
 Damaged roots can be pruned.

Disadvantages
 Time
constraint/availability.
 May need to be “sweated out”.
Bare Root Plants
Daylily
Dogwood
Sweating Plants
•Plants that have been in
refrigerated cold storage
for long periods of time
can become deeply
dormant.
•Sweating involves placing
plants in a warm (70-75°
F), humid location to
promote bud swell.
Container

Advantages
 Transplant
at any time.
 Relatively light weight and transportable.
 100% of roots stay with plant.

Disadvantages
 Root-bound;
Pot-bound; Potential girdling
roots.
 Soil dries out quickly in container.
Container Grown Plants
Pot-bound Container Grown Plant
Ball and Burlap

Advantages
 Native
soil kept with root mass.
 Larger sizes available.

Disadvantages
 Very
heavy to move.
 Can only be dug during dormant season.
 Difficult to keep root ball moist if there is a
delay between digging and planting.
Ball & Burlap Plants
Machine Dug B&B Tree
Tree Spade

Advantages
 Can

move very large trees.
Disadvantages
 Expensive
equipment.
 Should only be dug during spring and fall.
 Root loss.
 Glazing of planting hole sides.
Tree Spade
Tree Spade Holes
Correct time to transplant
Dependent upon the system used.
 Spring and Fall are best.

 Cooler
temperatures and adequate moisture.
 Some plants prefer to be moved in Spring.

Oaks and evergreens
 Fall
is an excellent time to move many
deciduous trees. Have long, slow spring to get
established before hot summer.
Dicot Root Systems

White Oak
The very first structure
to emerge from a
germinating seed is the
radicle (young root).
•The radicle becomes
the primary root.
•Secondary roots branch
off the primary root.
•Secondary roots
are also called
“lateral roots”.
•Tertiary roots branch off
secondary roots.
Adventitious Roots


Develop from newly
organized meristems
forming in leaves,
stems, trunks, and
roots.
Adventitious roots can
develop on the trunks
of trees that were
planted too deep.
Adventitious roots developing
on the trunk of ash.
Stem Girdling Roots

Sometimes
adventitious roots can
develop into stem
girdling roots.
Planting Depth
Correct planting depth is critical!
 Two main considerations:

 the
grower (nursery)
 the plant installer (landscaper; grounds
maintenance; homeowner)
The Grower

The top of the root ball is not a reliable
indication of planting depth.
Tree/Shrub Planter
What are the chances all of these are being
planted at the proper depth in the field?
Harvested B&B trees.
The tree on the left was
planted too deep in the
nursery.
soil ball
Lateral roots should be no more than 3
inches below the surface of the root ball.
The Landscaper; Grounds
Maintenance; Homeowner
Can’t assume the roots are at the correct
depth in the soil ball.
 Probe to soil ball to locate lateral roots.
 Remove excess soil prior to planting.

General Planting Steps

Locate lateral roots in the soil ball; remove
excess soil.




Dig hole 2-3 times wider than root ball.
Slope the sides of the planting hole.
The hole depth should be equal to, or slightly
less than, the soil ball depth.
Make sure the bottom of the planting hole is
firm.
Place B&B plants into the hole prior to
removing burlap, wire, and string.




Remove a minimum of the top 1/3 of a wire basket.
Fold down or remove burlap.
Remove all string and twine.

Backfill part way. Check for proper alignment
and depth.



Backfill with excavated soil.
Lightly tamp soil.
Finish backfilling.

Create a water basin around the plant if
needed.

Water


Slow and gentle trickle of water to avoid runoff, moisten soil,
and eliminate air pockets.
Tree-Gator- 20 gallon bag that slowly drips water directly onto
root zone.

Mulch


2”-3” of mulch.
Avoid piling mulch up against trunk.

Staking


1 year max (unless in a very windy site).
Allow some flexibility for tree movement.

Fertilizing
 Wait

1 year before fertilizing?
Establishment Pruning
 Prune
out damaged branches.
 Prune out poor branch structure without
removing large amounts of branches.

Do not prune branches just to make up for lost root
system.

Above grade planting
 Install
plant higher than normal.
Technique used in poorly drained soils.
 Also used for some plants that do not like to have
“wet feet” – Ex. Yews and Rhododendrons.

Special Considerations for
Container Grown Plants
Water plants thoroughly prior to planting.
 Remove the container.
 Apply treatment to pot-bound roots.

Boxing the Root Ball
Butterflying the Root Ball
Scoring/Teasing the Root Ball
Transplant Shock

Plant continues to use water and nutrients,
but uptake is hindered.
Can last several years.
 During move most fine root hairs have been
damaged.
 Many larger roots are lost/damaged.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Demonstration
½” Bare Root
 1” Container
 2” Ball and Burlap
 4” Tree Spade
 Same cultivar of Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
planted side by side; each received
identical cultural care.

Bigger isn’t always better
Viewed 3 years after planting
with identical care
the smallest had become the
largest and healthiest.
END