How to Plant and Care for a Seedling

Step 1

Keep roots cool and moist untilplanting. For individual seedlings, wrapthe roots in a moist paper towel andinsert them into a plastic bag or wrapwith aluminum foil (roots only). Storeseedlings in an unheated basement orrefrigerator. Do not let the roots freeze.

Step 2.

Find a spot with at least several hours of sunlight a day and where there is enough room for the tree when it’s full-grown. Some trees will spread wide and grow tall, so be aware of being too close to the house, and do not plant under electric or phone wires.

Step 3.

Clear all grass within three feet of the seedling. (Young trees do not like to grow in the grass.) Dig a hole slightly deeper than the roots so that they do not bend in the planting hole. Place the tree in the planting hole so that the roots will be just barely below the surface of soil.

Step 4.

Place wood chips, pine straw, or leaves around the tree 2-3 inches deep but keep it a couple inches away from the stem of the tree. Mulch that is piled up against tree trunks creates problems for the tree later on.

Mark your tree with flagging or a small stake so that a lawn mower does not cut it. (Young trees are hard to see.) Give your tree water when it gets hot and dry outside.

Note: Your seedling will grow slowly in the first year. Do not plant seedlings closer than 10 feet from each other. The best time to plant a seedling is while it is still dormant and the ground is not frozen (February through April).