Here in the K-State Diagnostic lab we deal with trees that are planted WRONG all the time! When trees are planted wrong, they start out extra stressed from day one. Trees are stressed enough just trying to live in our crazy Kansas weather, so, how do you plant them RIGHT?
Check out this easy-to-use guide from Dr. Cathie Lavis:
https://www.bookstore.ksre.k-state.edu/pubs/MF3313.pdf
There is a one-page guide to ball-in-burlap and a one page guide to container-grown trees.
Here’s one thing we don’t want, a big ol’ girdling root! And below that I put some photos I took of a display about planting trees wrong – you can click to zoom in a bit and check it out.
