Today is Arbor Day. It’s become a popular day to plant trees and promote environmental awareness. Dale Miller and Karen Ackley at the Marion County Extension Office have some tips for those putting trees in the ground today. They say the biggest mistake people make is burying the tree too deep. Miller notes that more than half of the tree’s root system is 12-15 inches deep. He says that when you plant, you should make sure the flair of the tree is almost completely above ground. The flare is the part where the bottom of the tree starts to bow out. Ackley reminds people to research which trees work in what locations. Certain types of trees are much more able to sustain in spots where there’s lots of sunlight than others. She says that it works that way for wet spots and shady spots as well. They both also tell KNIA/KRLS that when planting a tree, you need to make the hole at least two-to-three times larger than the width of the tree. You should also know the mature height and width of the tree before you plant. Miller says this could save you a lot of headaches when as the trees grows, as you want to keep it from growing into your house or the street.

Sherryl Nunnikhoven at Dutch Meadows Landscaping in Pella says size is the biggest difficulty when planting a new tree. You’ll have to dig a much bigger hole. She also warns that the soils around Pella can be poor, especially around Lake Red Rock. She reminds tree planters to not over water a new tree and to check the moisture of the soil by feeling it because you can’t tell how much water is in the soil just by looking at it.