As with all good recipes, planting a tree must respect a few fundamental principles of gardening! Discover all of Sébastien’s advice for successfully planting a tree, ensuring its recovery and encouraging its growth.

Amateur gardeners or garden enthusiasts, I invite you to follow this guide to:

1. Find the ideal location in your garden
2. Choose the right time of year to plant
3. Preserve your tree
4. Prepare your tools and all useful accessories
5. Dig a large planting hole
6. To plant a tree in a ball or container
7. To plant a bare root tree

01 – Find the ideal location in your garden

Deciding on the best location to plant a tree is a simple matter…as long as you follow certain rules.

1. Find out about the regulatory distances with your neighborhood. It is generally not recommended to plant a tree too close to a building.
2. Consult the tree’s technical sheet to find out its preferences (in terms of exposure and level of sunlight) and its size when mature (height x width): this will allow you to find the most suitable area and surface area.

On our site, for example, the technical sheet for ACACIA dealbata (grafted) – commonly called “Winter Mimosa” – indicates the following information:

• It will appreciate a sunny or partial shade exposure.
• It can reach 10m in height and 4m in width.

03- Visualize and imagine the tree in its adulthood:

• A shadow area will be created by the crown (*), the aerial part of the tree.
• Its root system can develop on a surface similar to that of the crown, which can cause certain damage at ground level.

Sebastian’s tip

“A tree can reach totally different stages of evolution between 5, 10 or even 100 years: you must try to project yourself while remaining in a human chronology.”

02 – Choose the right time of year to plant

Don’t ask yourself any more questions: Autumn remains the best planting season (with warm soils and rainy periods) for all woody plants (*).

We recommend that you plant your tree in mild weather and even in rainy weather.

Trees packaged in a ball or container: we recommend planting them from the beginning of September to the end of April to optimize good recovery.

Bare root trees: you must absolutely plant them while respecting the dormant period (from November to March) and avoid periods of severe frost.

Planting during the summer season is not recommended: a tree must have sufficiently developed its root system to be able to withstand high heat and periods of drought.

Sebastian’s tip

“You should avoid planting a tree when the ground is frozen or saturated with water. It is better to wait for good weather conditions to facilitate planting and encourage recovery.”

03 – Preserve your tree

Planting a tree should remain a pleasure. If you can’t do it immediately or want to wait for better conditions, there are a few tips.

Trees packaged in a ball or container: simply keep it in a cool, airy place, watering it regularly so that the ball does not dry out.

Bare-root trees: care must be taken to never leave bare roots exposed to the air. You can temporarily protect them with a canvas or tarpaulin or place them in a gauge (*) for a storage period of more than 48 hours.

Sebastian’s tip

“Before planting, do not forget to remove the pot (container). If the tree is in a ball, do not remove the canvas (biodegradable material): this could damage the ball.”

04 – Prepare your tools and all useful accessories

A well-prepared gardener is a well-planted tree: at each stage of planting, an adapted tool will allow you to be more efficient.

• To prune damaged roots/branches: pruning shears.
• For digging in sandy soil: a spade.
• For digging in clay soil: a digging fork.
• To loosen the bottom of the hole: a pickaxe.
• To store the soil: a tarpaulin.
• To prepare the finishing mix: a hand shovel.
• To support the tree: a solid stake (about 6 cm in diameter)!
• To drive in the stake: a hammer.
• To attach the tutor: a tie or clamp.
• To create a bowl: a hand shovel.
• To fill the bowl: a large watering can.

05 – Dig a large planting hole

Just one idea to keep in mind for the success of your project: do not hesitate to make a large planting hole. The greater the volume of loose soil, the easier it will be for new roots to grow and therefore to recover.

1. Be aware that you will encounter different layers of soil. On the surface, you will find a layer of dark-colored topsoil that you will set aside to fill the hole. Below will be a layer of topsoil, recognizable by its change in color and texture.
2. Dig a hole 80 cm (*), in width and depth. In order to improve drainage and avoid the “well” effect, loosen the bottom of the hole with a pickaxe.
3. The size of the hole to be dug must of course be adapted according to the size of the pot: ideally, you will need to allow 5 times its volume.
4. Make a finishing mix with the surface topsoil, compost rich in fertilizer and an organic amendment (*): you will use it to fill the hole.
5. Remove bad soil from the subsoil.

Sebastian’s tip

“If you don’t have a tarpaulin, you can replace it with a wheelbarrow: it will be just as practical for storing the soil and making the finishing mixes.”

06 – Planting a tree in a root ball or container

Your planting hole is prepared and well adapted to the size of the root ball: we will detail below the specific techniques for planting a tree in a root ball or container (to be removed before planting).

Before planting, it may be useful to soak (*) the root ball and lightly disentangle (*) the root system to optimize recovery.

1. Take care of the mound by avoiding breaking it.
2. Place the root ball in the center of the hole: the collar (*) must be placed precisely at ground level, or even slightly above to anticipate compaction.
3. Fill the hole with the finishing mixture (fine surface soil + potting soil + organic amendment) and tamp down lightly at the base.
4. Install the stake obliquely so as not to damage the roots: it must always be placed facing the prevailing winds. Attach the stake to the trunk, leaving enough play so that it can move: this will facilitate rooting and improve its anchoring. You can remove the stake in 1 year.
5. Water slowly, several times, to finalize the compaction and improve recovery. Do not underestimate watering: you must provide twice the volume of water compared to the volume of the pot or the root ball.