see link

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I've planted nothing since April and won't plant more until
October.I know retailers offer great deals to clear stock
this time of year and if you can't resist I'd heel this group
into some half shade until more optimum planting time.
I realize that didn't answer your question of what to top dress with after planting - partly because its so secondary to the above.The number of inches is less important than
being sure the root crown has exposure to air.I have
planted many burlapped root balls and see no reason to
discontinue this practice......just be very sure there is no
wire cage still attached.If you purchase a balled and burlap in midsummer and it doesn't seem moist you may
need to rehydrate the entire ball before planting.
Once the ball is planted and no big hurry,I simply trim excess burlap back to sub-surface where it won't show
in the landscape.Apply any mulch you have successfully used in adjacent beds.Check soil moisture in a very regular manner for at least one year - forget about schedules-water per plants their needs.Trees can show
similiar reactions to both overwatering and under watering so put your finger in the soil occasionally to gauge moisture.Sorry if I've gone off track with this reply
but I detected additional issues with your question.Doug

Ogcon, I understand why with a large transplant you would leave the burlap on until the tree is set at proper height in its hole.

Why afterwards would you not cut off every bit of burlap you can get to BEFORE filling in around the tree?

The only advantage I can see is on the commercial side, the crew gets out quicker.

I have seen dead trees pulled up five or more years after planting with burlap prisons still in place and it has me on an anti-burlap crusade of sorts lol.

Thanks guys.

Is burlap the fabric that surrounds the root ball? Before I planted the trees I removed all the fabric including the metal wire cage on all the trees. So I can put mulch on top of the root ball but a few inches from the tree trunk? Can the bag of Tree and garden soil that I mixed into the native soil hurt the trees?

Jute ,the material used for making burlap is entirely bio-degradable,absorbent and has no properties that I know of
that would hinder plant root growth.A machine harvested
field-grown tree will contain ample soil beyond the the root
mass to provide for more than adequate root expansion before the root tips encounter the wide-open webbing of
this highly porous "container".
If its a smaller,say 50-75lb rootball it comes away easily
as long as the ball stays intact I usually pull it off to avoid
trimming the top later.With larger rootballs I usually unwrap the the top strings so that the whole thing can be drug into position by the loose edge of burlap.By the way, the crew usually turns out
to be one old guy,me.There are other fine points to be covered but I've probably belabored the issue already.
I did redig and move a Cedrus deodara a while back that came to me in a rootball of about 200-250lbs.It was well
grown through the burlap and the bag had some breaks in the bottom portion.Back to Stewarts question of using
the bagged product as a top mulch......Why not?I probably would if it performed as a mulch and helped retain moisture.D.

I appreciate the help. I decided to buy a few bags of red mulch from Home Depot. On the top of the root ball of my Weeping Alaskan Cedar there are roots sticking out. Do I cover the roots with soil before I place the mulch over it or should I just use the mulch?

Thanks.

Sorry about the mis-spelled name Stuart.Errant roots should be trimmed off at this point-often this will stimulate
root growth.Good luck!Doug

.A machine harvested field-grown tree will contain ample soil beyond the root mass to provide for more than adequate root expansion before the root tips encounter the wide-open webbing of this highly porous "container".

That is so not true!! Field grown trees - machine OR hand harvested - typically have extremely abbreviated root balls. In fact it is estimated that as much as 95% of the root system is removed when the tree is dug. Nonetheless, removing the burlap from the top and sides IS recommended for several reasons: it is often treated to retard decay, it can wick moisture from the rootball (as previously stated) and it can interfere with soil interface. However, if the tree has been hanging around for awhile or heeled into the soil/sawdust, the fine feeder roots may have already penetrated the burlap - removing it from any more than the top of the rootball can further compromise an already compromised root system.

Part of where I stopped belaboring this issue involves the
a long-winded explanation about mechanically root-pruning
row after row of field grown trees.If you've witnessed this process,great,if not I hope you'll get the chance to see.The
resulting root ball is not only more compact as a result but
larger roots severed during field pruning will have healed and by harvest time will have
put out a higher concentration of root hairs into a more
easily handled and economically shipped root ball.I am not a farmer or a rancher but I pay close attention to the
instructions given to me by the growers in my area,the same ones that just happen to grow the best quality plant product in the country.Doug

I planted a large weeping blue spruce today. the tree weighs maybe 200 pounds or more so I dragged it into the hole by building up a slide which took the tree right into the hole. the Plant container was about 17 inches high and 17 inches wide. I decided to cut the container with a scissor and slide the tree out of the container since it's too heavy for me to lift. Unfortunately by sliding the tree out of the container roots on the bottom and sides got messed up and some broke off. Will this have hurt the tree or cause any problems to it?

Thanks.

Probably not but as previously stated and speaking only for myself,this ain't the best time of year to be planting trees,
big ones or small ones.Doug

My local nursery had a great sale on tree and shrubs which is why I bought the trees. The weeping Blue Spruce was in a plant pot before I removed it. After I planted the tree I noticed burlap around the tree trunk so I removed as much as I could since the tree was in the ground. Did I do the right think by removing the burlap?

Thanks.

You can plant potted plants spring, summer and fall. Only buy 1-3 gal. plantings. Anything larger has root bound issues and not a good candidate for planting.

Removing them from the pot, correcting the root issues, planting and proper care a much better scenario them left in potted containers for what ever time you think is the best for planting.

If planting B&B early spring or fall best time.

A procedure I have used for years with great success. To me removal of all burlap and restrictive twine gives the plant a unrestricted ability to begin root reconstruction process.

Turn ball on its side. Cut a circle around the bottom of the burlap and remove it. Make 3 vertical cuts in the burlap up the root flare. Be careful not to cut any twine. Plant, level and crown root ball flare. Then lightly tamp in dirt up to the horizontally wrapped twine around the center of the root ball. Cut twine from around the root flare and remove it along with the burlap. If twine won't pull up then it is tied to the horizontally wrapped twine wrapping the center circumference of the ball. Usually 1-2 you can't pull up and remove. Leave them. Do not remove the twine that is wrapped around the center of the root ball. This keeps the root ball stable and prevents it from cracking. Once you have removed all burlap and twine top off with the rest of the planting soil. It is then your responsibility to give this plant good after care till it grows enough root mass to free range on it own.

Other concerns for B&B. Never buy cracked or loose root balls. Always buy small. The larger the plant the greater it chances of survival will be a concern. If purchased in large sizes Chamaecyparis, Thuja and Cupressus nootkatensis will almost certainly drop considerable amount of foliage as the remaining root mass left in the ball cannot support it. Then you are left with a weak undesirable plant that will become dumpster material sooner then later.

There you have it. Been there and done it.

Dave

As was previously mentioned this is the time of year when nurseries put their B&B inventory on sale to quickly and efficiently get rid of material that's been compromised from the moment it was dug in February. Did you get a guarantee with that sale?

You've been correctly advised to get rid of the top of the burlap. If you leave it, it can only cause trouble. I also like to scrape off the first couple inches of the root ball because I like to see where the root flare is. That's what needs to be at ground level.

Now onto what's below the root flare. As you're working with the root ball, are you seeing white feeder roots? If you are, good! That means that you've probably got a survivor. If you don't see any roots growing out of the burlap, you in all likelihood have a dead tree. I know it ticks off nursery owners, but I always pull the plant and look in the pot to judge the quality of the roots. If I don't see live roots or if the plant is a pot-bound mess, I'm going to pass despite the price.

Lastly, water. The nice folks who've already chimed in were correct to say that July and August is absolutely the worst time to plant a big tree. It's super hard to get water down to the bottom of the root ball. One technique is once your hole is dug and the tree's in the hole, toss in some soil and fill the hole with water. As it drains away add more soil and more water. Your goal is to have a pretty soggy mess when you're done. Depending on your soil, that should keep things damp down deep for a week or so depending on how much the tree's drinking. Here's another suggestion -- get some 2-inch PVC pipe, drills holes into it and bury them to the depth of the root ball. That way you have an efficient way to get water deep.

good luck,
~Dave

Hi all,
Would just to say that if a tree has been in a wire basket, or pot ,since it was dug in the spring, and still looks healthy, there should be no reason not to plant now. It will survive far better in the ground, rather than above. And with proper care/conditions, it will have had a longer time to establish itself (vs fall planting) before freeze up. I think there may some confusion here as to when a tree can be dug and when can be planted.
Also, most field grown tree venders/growers offer a warranty; if they don't, and the trees are also not root pruned......I would shop elsewhere.

Woody stock of all sizes seen on the market here is root-bound, in fact the hardest (even impossible) specimens to correct at planting time are ones that were left too long in bands or liners when tiny and now have tight root knots near the bases of the stems as a result.

Among the worst are grafted conifers and other grafted specimens as these are among the most expensive yet also the most deformed, rootstocks used having been "stored" for perhaps years in small and/or narrow containers before being grafted upon - there seems to be this idea that since it's rootstock it does not need the same level of consideration as finished plants. But then much rootbound stock of all types is being churned out anyway.

If it were another industry producing something like cars or appliances it would be a scandal and regulatory agencies would step in.

Leave nothing in the planting hole except the tree and the existing soil. Stake if necessary for one year and mulch after planting, water as needed.

I have a new planting still being populated here and I am having a Hell of a time with some of the plants wilting and burning - because they were planted with intact potting soil rootballs and not mulched after planting. The contractor that tilled the bed said the existing soil was fine but I found it to be poorly draining and of poor texture when planting. So I want to dig in some sand, have not mulched the plants already in place. Despite recurring heavy watering the fight with the sun continues. Why am I doing this now? It is a July-October flowering theme border, with many of the plants not coming on the local market (or being able to be seem in flower and determined to be true-to-type) until summer. Especially here in Zone 8 it is otherwise vastly preferable to plant in fall. The nursery industry had a Fall is For Planting campaign some years ago but the public still wants to do everything in spring. And sales of trees and shrubs are down, I may switch to having what I want shipped here, maybe later in the year when it is cooler.

I feel that here, where it is so very hot for such a long time that it is better to go ahead and plant. I don't see how exposing the roots to 95F every day, with virtually no cool-off at night, can be an advantage. This is in the shade, you can imagine what it's like in the sun. Those that live in more equitable climates can keep them in their pots until fall. This would apply to all plants here and just not conifers. Then, with someone like me who has a tough time keeping pots watered it becomes even more crucial. Yes I do have to water when in the ground but there seems to be more wiggle room. Right now I have a few things in pots in a growing on area and they have a timer and sprinkler or they just might be dead. You have to water anyway and I find that in ground is always better for me considering the heat. Of course if you have something planted in the back forty it might be difficult to get to, so pots might be necessary.

I know it ticks off nursery owners, but I always pull the plant and look in the pot to judge the quality of the roots

Lol, last week I popped a Ginkgo out of 10 gallon pot to check the roots and said no thanks after checking. As soon as I put it back someone was creeping up on me asking if I needed help. Of all the times I've been there before they've never approached me prior!

were left too long in bands or liners when tiny and now have tight root knots near the bases of the stems as a result.

This is the reason I stopped bare rooting as you finally get to what would have been the liner section and you're screwed. I only roll with certain vendors now with container stock.

If I find a root knot I can't fix I throw the plant away. I do not want to waste time and money planting a shrub or tree that may pivot over years later, once the weight of the top is enough to overcome the deformed root system.

I've already had this happen in the past, it is not a theoretical outcome by any means. It seems rootbound fast- and tall-growing trees like Leyland cypress could even become a hazard.

Girdling roots may also pinch off the top of a woody plant. This is probably most often liable to be many years down the road, resulting in a "mature" specimen being lost.

It's sad to say that I've can't remember buying a local plant the was not rootbound to some extent. I'm sure there must have been sometime but I can't remember it. The local nurseries that I will visit are as bad as the big box stores. Mail order is better but not by much, sometimes you have to just take a chance and hope you can fix it.

Ah, a bunch of straight posts reminding me why bare root "twigs" are better to transplant.

Not to mention I don't need to dig a giant hole or drag around a 100lb rootball. Gotta save my back for things like pulling heads lol.

Do you suggest that I make a few holes (About 2 feet deep and an inch in diameter) around the root ball of the planted trees so that water will get down to the roots at the bottom?

A slow trickle of water near the trunk will water the rootball. What you have to figure out is, in your soil, how slow and for how long is optimal.

tj