I’ve seen a lot of shrubs and trees that have died within a few years after getting planted and a pattern has become obvious. 90 percent of those that failed were planted too deep. When the crown of the plant is covered with dirt, the plant will eventually die.
Make the planting hole a little bit wider than the root ball. Dig only as deep as the root ball or the pot that contains the roots. Place the plant into the hole and check the planting depth by laying a stick across the hole. The spot on the tree trunk where the soil is in the pot or ball should line up with the surrounding soil. If the hole is too deep, add compost or soil to build up the bottom of the planting hole. Then simply fill in the rest of the hole.
This is the point where inexperienced gardeners make a big mistake. When you dig a hole, then fill it with a large root ball, there’s going to be soil left over. Many will opt to pile it up around the trunk or stem. DON’T DO IT! It has the same negative effect as planting too deeply. If the stem above ground is covered with soil, it hinders the plant’s ability to pass moisture and nutrients from the root system to the leaves above, slowly strangling the plant.
Instead of piling the extra soil against the trunk, build a dish-shaped dike or berm away from the stem of the plant to collect water and direct it down to the root system. Remember, you haven’t planted too deeply as long as you see the original soil that the tree came in. Water heavily after planting to remove any air pockets from the soil.
Take care when applying mulch as well. Piling mulch against the trunk is the same as burying the stem and slowly kills the plant. Thanks for the read!
