Avoid These Mistakes When Planting Trees in Your Yard

Though we tend to think about landscaping in terms of lawns, shrubs, and flowers, there are plenty of reasons to consider planting trees in your yard as well. Not only can they increase your home’s value by up to...

Jul 30, 2023 - 21:04

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Avoid These Mistakes When Planting Trees in Your Yard

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Photo: Maria Sbytova (Shutterstock)

Though we tend to think about landscaping in terms of lawns, shrubs, and flowers, there are plenty of reasons to consider planting trees in your yard as well. Not only can they increase your home’s value by up to 15%, and decrease your energy bills by providing shade from summer sun and protection from frigid winter winds, trees can also help clean the air, and attract birds and other pollinators.

But you can’t simply dig a hole, pop a tree in, and call it a day: There are a number of factors to consider in order to be able to provide a tree with the conditions it needs to thrive. It also means avoiding these common tree-planting mistakes.

Avoid these mistakes when planting trees in your yard

Planting trees typically isn’t difficult, but it does take a bit of planning. This includes avoiding mistakes like the ones Graham Herbst of the Nebraska Forest Service (an affiliate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln) has identified:

Picking the wrong tree: Consider a tree’s mature height and width to ensure you have enough space for it in your yard; take a look around your neighborhood to find trees that do well in your area.The root ball is too small: For every inch of tree diameter, there should be 10"- 12" of root ball. Anything less than that can cause transplant shock for the tree and take much longer for it to get established.The hole is too small: The planting hole should be twice the width of the root ball. The soil is inhospitable: Extremely sandy or heavy clay soils may need to be amended to ensure that the conditions are right for the tree. Also, always have your soil tested before planting a tree, in order to determine the pH and any fertilizer requirements.

These mistakes, along with six more, and other valuable information on tree-planting, are available via this free, two-page downloadable PDF.