Planting live oak tree advice?

[Swampbeast]

I have a customer that wants us to plant four live oak trees, each one is about 12 feet tall, look pretty healthy. She wants us to put them in her front yard, two on each side of the house.
I dont normally plant trees, so I was going to ask, is there anything that I need to remember to do, any special tips or tricks I might employ so the trees have a better shot at surviving?

Thanks

[blafleur]

Trees usually survive in spite of our help instead of because of it if they start off healthy.

I dig a hole 2-3 time the width of the root ball, and 2-3" shallower. Planting to deep is probably where most people screw up. I always want the top of the root ball just above the surrounding soil level.

Protect the integrity of the root ball as best you can while moving it and putting it the hole. If the roots are circling the root ball, cut them or loosen them out once it is in the hole.

I back fill about half and water it to settle it down some, then backfill therest of the way. You will probably have some soil left over, this I use to make a little levee around the root ball to keep the water from just running off. I then water it again to settle the soil. I usually put a 2 inch layer of mulch around the tree avoiding piling it up on the trunk. I avoid staking it if I can. Most balled and burlap trees need to be staked. Container grown can usually planted without stakes, unless its very exposed to winds and/or has a lot of mass above ground in relation to the root ball.

Good luck.
Bryan

[devildog]

Are you planting B&B or Container trees............?

[Swampbeast]

What? I have no idea what those two phrases mean.

[greenman]

Were they dug up and put in burlap or are they in containers?

[Swampbeast]

They are wrapped in burlap.

[Holloway Lawns]

I plant in the Fall and now would still be a good time to plant as long as it is not frezzing cold.

Befoe planting soke the root ball in water in a clean container for at least 24 hrs. This gives the tree some water before planting and do not let the roots dry out.

1 Dig a hole 3 times larger than the root ball.

2 Leave loose dirt in the bottom of the hole at least 4 inches worth.

3 Place the tree in the hole try not to bend roots or break any.

4 I mix some compost and poting soil with dirt and fill the hole.

5 pack the dirt in the hole.

6 Use a support system for the tree stakes and line.

7 Put at least 3 inches of mulch around the tree.

8 Water good. Water once a week.

Hopes this helps

[Swampbeast]

Okay, I just put them in this morning. Four oak trees. I dug each hole roughly three times the size of hte root ball, being careful not to put it in to deep. I then filled it halfway with dirt, watered to pack it down some, then filled it the rest of hte way, packing it down as I went. Mulched, then rigged up a stake and wire setup to keep it upright, then watered it some more.
I will post here in a couple months to let you know how it went. Thanks for the advice guys, most appreciated.

[Holloway Lawns]

It should do just fine.