Tree planting
Kate and Keith gave us an apple tree that was left over from last year’s workshops. It sat on the porch for a bit, waiting for a nice day for a planting. We also had a few fig trees in pots that we started from cuttings from trees in Wilmington.
I don’t know a whole lot of anything about planting trees, but Kristin has some experience. I just had to follow her lead. When she said dig, I dug.
Our combined experience is not enough to make a detailed step by step instructional, but I can hit the basics.
The idea is to dig a hole that will easily accommodate the roots of the tree. The common rule is to dig the hole twice as big as the root ball. If there is no defined root ball (as in the case of our fig tree) you will have to just make a guess of it.
When finished, the side of the hole should be straight down and those same sides of the hole should be aerated with a pickaxe or a sharp stick. Leave a mound of soil at the bottom of the hole in the center in order to help hold up the tree while the soil is filled back in.
Place the tree is the hole and gradually fill in the soil. Hold the tree straight while another person does the filling. Once filled in, create a small dike around the tree to hold water. If the tree needs support, this is the time to tie it up.
Water once a week or as often as you think about it until the tree is established.
