Roots in the Rockies – A Tree Planting Guide for Fort Collins

Planting a tree is a long-term investment that can have many benefits for our community. Follow these tips when planting your new tree!

Remember to call 811 a few days before digging to find out the approximate location of buried utility lines. Avoid planting trees near driveways and other infrastructure that could be damaged or disrupted by root growth.

Digging the Hole

Tree roots perform many critical functions such as water and mineral conduction, food storage and anchorage. Anything that restricts root growth or reduces the availability of oxygen or nutrients will ultimately stress a tree. Injuries to roots can be caused by improper application of herbicides, deicing salts and other chemicals; tillage, digging, trenching, grading, hydro excavating, and soil compaction.

A new planting hole should be dug about 3 times the width of the root ball and have sloping sides. The hole should be backfilled with the original soil. Adding peat moss, manure or fertilizer to the hole is not necessary and can restrict root growth.

Before you start any digging, including planting a tree, be sure to call 811. This link opens in a new browser tab Colorado state law requires that you give a few business days’ notice before beginning any type of excavation, such as digging, installing fences and mailboxes, and even planting a tree.

Planting the Tree

Planting trees in the spring allows them to establish a strong root system that can withstand our harsh winters. However, new plantings can also be planted in the fall and summer, but it is more difficult for them to withstand our intense summer sun. New plants have to focus all of their energy on not shriveling up and cannot put their energies into establishing a root system.

The Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery is proud to offer a wide selection of Western Native and Plant Select varieties that are adapted to the semi-arid climate of the Rocky Mountain region. Our nursery is situated on 130 acres managed for field production of bare-root seedlings and 18,000 square feet of greenhouse space.

A variety of individuals and organizations are dedicated to planting trees throughout our community for many different reasons. For example, families may plant a tree as a growing memorial to deceased family members. Others may plant a tree to celebrate marriage, the birth of a child, or even their own birthday!

Establishing the Care Bed

Planting a tree is a great way to enhance your property’s value, provide shade, and boost the health of your community. Whether you are planting in your own yard or for a public street, the same basic principles apply to ensure your new tree thrives. Proper hole size, handling the root ball with care, and providing adequate water and nutrients are critical to success.

Mulch is important to minimize water loss and to help control weeds. It is also a good idea to use composted manure or other organic matter around the base of the newly planted tree. Avoid adding fertilizer to the ground or in the planting hole as this can interfere with the tree’s ability to obtain its own necessary resources.

If you decide to plant flowers in the planting bed, be sure to choose hardy plants that do not compete with the tree for resources. Examples include rudbeckia, monarda and heuchera species, and moss phlox (Phlox subulata). Water thoroughly after planting to eliminate air pockets and to ensure the soil is fully saturated.

Watering the Tree

Tree care need regular watering, especially in the first year after planting, when they’re working hardest to establish themselves. Watering trees in fall and winter (especially during extended dry periods of two weeks or more without snow cover) is also critical.

Maintaining soil moisture improves root water absorption and increases drought resistance, but be careful not to overwater. Overwatering suffocates roots by filling up air spaces in the soil that should hold oxygen. Overwatered trees may show signs of stress such as wilting leaves and brittle stems.

Mulching the base of your trees helps reduce soil compaction, slows evaporation, and improves tree health by insulates roots from temperature extremes. Use a deep mulch like wood chips or bark to help avoid soil compaction. Water at least once a week and water deeply, soaking the soil to the dripline of the tree. The dripline is the area of the soil that extends out from the crown of the tree, usually several feet past the outermost branches.