Nursery stock is usually offered for sale in the following ways: bare root, packaged, potted, container grown, and balled and burlapped. These designations relate to the way the plants were grown and how they are being marketed. For example, bare-root stock has exposed roots that are very susceptible to drying out and therefore need to be kept moist until planting.
Packaged plants are similar to bare-root plants, except they have their roots in a loose, moist organic material.
Potted plants are bare-rootstock that have been potted into containers and sold shortly thereafter. Potted plants differ from container-grown plants in that they were not grown in the original containers.
Balled and burlapped stock are generally more durable than their bare-root counterparts because they contain a large soil ball with the root system relatively intact."
To plant a tree, dig a hole about 50 percent wider than the root ball or root spread of the tree. It is extremely important to plant all trees at the same level in the soil at which they were originally growing - no shallower and no deeper. Starter fertilizer can be applied with the first watering after planting.
Neville Chamberlain planting tree at Lord Camrose's Estate at Basingstoke.
Once the tree is set into the planting pit, backfilling should be done by shoveling in and firming the soil around the root ball. Form a water basin around the base of the plant to hold water, allowing it to soak in rather than run off.
When watering new trees, make sure that the plants never dry out. Keep the soil moist at all times during the first season.
It's also a good idea to mulch newly planted trees with shredded hardwood bark, compost, or coarse peat moss. These materials conserve moisture, retard weed growth, and help maintain a more even soil temperature. A 2- or 3-inch mulch is usually plenty for one season.
Buy only healthy plants. Avoid trees with cracked or ripped bark and disease or insect problems. Make sure the tree is hardy in your area.