TREE PLANTING SERVICES
Maximize the value of your property by properly planting the right tree in the right place.
A new tree is an investment that adds more value to your home with each passing year.
To ensure that you get the most value possible from your new tree (or shrub), it’s essential that you plant the right tree in the right place using the right methods. And that’s not always as easy as you may think.
Before We Plant Trees
Before recommending or planting a tree, one of our ISA Certified Arborists will visit your property to assess the area in which you’d like to plant your new tree. Our arborist will point out the best location in which to plant and recommend the tree species that will do best given factors like the available light, soil type and condition and moisture.
We will then order one or more trees for you from one of several local area wholesale nurseries where our horticulturist can select the best trees. Sorry, but we do not plant trees that you or someone else has purchased.
Before planting, we will work with the local utilities company to mark all utilities in the planting area.
The property owner is responsible for marking private lines, such as electric for landscape lighting or irrigation lines.
where to plant a tree
The best location in which to plant a tree depends on a wide range of factors, including the mature size of the tree. One of the biggest problems we see is people who have planted a tree too close to their house – eventually it will need to be removed before it damages the home.
We often get asked to remove a dead or diseased tree and replace it with a new one in the same spot. While we understand the desire to do this, it’s not usually something we recommend, especially if the existing tree died because of issues in the surrounding environment. Decaying roots and woody material from the dead tree will deplete nitrogen in the soil, which can affect growth of the new tree. And the established root system in that area makes it more difficult for the new tree to develop its own root system. If you’d like to replant in the same spot, please ask one of our ISA Certified Arborists to assess the situation and determine whether or not this is recommended.
ABOUT TREE SIZE
The tree sizes we can plant vary by species but generally fall into the following ranges:
Approx 1.5" dbh / under 6ft tall
Approx 2" dbh / 6- 8 ft tall
Approx 3" dbh / 8 - 12 ft tall
Approx 4" dbh / 12 - 16 ft tall
Approx 5" dbh / 16 - 20 ft tall
(dbh = diameter of the tree trunk at breast height)
As you’d expect, larger trees typically cost more to purchase and to plant. Often, a smaller tree will establish more quickly and grow faster than a larger one.
WHEN TO PLANT A TREE
We plant trees in spring and fall when conditions are more favorable for the trees to get started (we don’t generally plant during the summer). We wait for the soil to dry out a bit in spring (it can’t be too wet) and stop planting before the ground freezes in fall.
If we’re planting smaller trees or shrubs that come in a container or are wrapped in burlap, then we can start planting when they become available at the nursery in spring (provided the soil is dry enough).
For larger trees that need to be dug out of the ground before being transported to your property, timing will depend on when the tree nurseries determine is the best time for each particular tree.
WHAT TO DO AFTER PLANTING A TREE
After planting, we’ll give you an information sheet that explains how to take care of your new tree to help the tree get off to a good start. The most important part is regular and sufficient watering.
WHY HIRE AN ARBORIST TO PLANT A TREE?
We make educated recommendations based on the property features and your preferences to ensure that the trees you choose are most likely to thrive. The trees we plant come from local area wholesale nurseries where we can get the highest quality trees. We plant according to industry standards, many of which are not commonly known or followed by landscapers or homeowners. Not following these standards leads to girdling roots, uprooting, or a tree that fails to grow properly – none of which you probably want to have happen.