Many times, poor tree performance in residential landscapes, commercial landscapes and municipality plantings can be traced to improper planting techniques. Here are some examples of a few common mistakes to avoid when adding new trees to your landscape.

- Selecting the wrong type of tree. You should get as much information about the tree species before you purchase one. Know how wide and tall it grows so that it does not get too large for the space selected. Do not plant a tree that gets large under utility lines or too near the road or your house.

– Planting root balls too deeply. The best management practice is to have the top of the root ball be at the same level or slightly higher than the soil grade. The hole does not need to be any deeper than the depth of the pot or root ball. Do not cover the lower trunk with soil.

– Improper planting hole diameter. Ideally, the diameter of the planting hole should be two to three times larger than the tree’s root ball. The poorer the condition of the soil in terms of drainage and aeration, the wider the planting hole should be dug. This allows for lateral root development and expansion. Remember that tree roots grow out from the planting hole into the surrounding soil.

– Excessive amendments to backfill soil. Backfill soil is the soil removed from the planting hole. The current recommendation is to return to the planting hole the soil that came from it. Do not amend backfill soil with pine bark, compost or similar materials. This will create a change in the soil texture from the planting hole to the surrounding soil, and water will migrate from the surrounding soil into the planting hole and saturate the root system – the “soup bowl” effect.

– Planting root-bound plants. In many cases, container-grown trees have over crowded root systems. Cutting the encircling roots encourages outward root growth and prevents future girdling roots.

– Excessive mulch or no mulch. Mulch helps retain moisture for the newly planted tree. Too much mulch or not enough mulch is a common problem. Do not pile mulch around the base of trees, sometimes called volcano mulching. The recommended mulching depth for newly planted trees is 3 inches to 4 inches. Pine straw, pine bark and hardwood bark are good mulch materials.

– Improper watering. Newly planted trees need to be sufficiently watered-in. This watering eliminates air pockets in the soil that dry out the root system. Apply water at the edge of the original root ball and outward. Do not apply water next to the main stems.

– Pruning at planting. Pruning guidelines suggest that the only pruning that should be done at planting is to remove any dead or broken branches, suckers or similar sprouts. Leave branches on the lower part of the trunk for a year or so to encourage trunk development. Excessive pruning of shoots at planting also can promote additional shoot growth at a time when root growth is desired.

These are just a few items to keep in mind to be more successful with tree planting.