How to Plant a Tree in Poor Soil

In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains how to plant a tree in poor soil.

Steps:

1 Select spot for tree away from house and overhead wires.
2 Measure diameter of the plastic tree pot.
3 Dig a hole four times wider than pot and as deep as the pot.
4 Add compost to topsoil; mix with shovel.
5 Set tree in hole; lift up and pull off pot.
6 Rotate best face of tree toward street with main branches parallel with house.
7 Scratch root ball with cultivator to loosen roots.
8 Add starter fertilizer and superphosphorous to topsoil.
9 Backfill around tree with amended topsoil.
10 Form 4-inch-high ring of soil around tree, fill with water.
11 Stake tree with wires; wrap garden hose around wire to protect tree bark.
12 Add 2 or 3 inches of bark mulch; keep mulch away from trunk.
13 Wrap drip-irrigation bag around base of tree; fill bag with water.
14 Refill the bag with water twice every week until the root system is established.

Facing the Tree: When positioning the tree in the hole, the This Old House team recommends a technique called “facing the tree.” Put the best-looking side facing outward toward the street, and orient the main branches so they grow parallel to the house rather than into it. This gives the tree the best visual impact and prevents future conflicts with the structure.

Slow-Release Watering: The drip-irrigation bags used by the This Old House crew hold about 15 gallons of water and slow-release it directly into the tree pit. If you don’t have a drip bag, a simple five-gallon bucket with small nail holes drilled in the bottom works just as well—fill three buckets to match the same volume of water and let them drain slowly around the base.