How to Plant & Maintain

All planting a tree takes is a little TLC - and we’re here to show you how to do just that!

(Video featuring New Orleans Parks & Parkways)

  1. Remove the tree from the pot and dig the hole. The size of the hole should be twice the size of the tree root ball. 

  2. Break up the roots of the tree so that the roots can spread out and not continue to grow in a circle as if it were in the pot. 

  3. Plant the tree. It is important to plant the crown or the trunk of the tree even with the ground. Planting it too deep will cause root rot, and planting the tree too high will cause the tree to dry out and die. 

  4. Pack the soil that you dug in the hole and not up against the tree. 

  5. Make a doughnut ring of mulch around, but away from the tree. Do not place the mulch up against the tree.  

  6. Stake the tree if needed, and water the tree at least once per week, especially the first few weeks and for a year.