Before we get into how to plant a tree sapling, let us go into what exactly a tree sapling is. A tree sapling is an tree that is not fully grown yet and has a much slender trunk than that of an adult tree.
A tree sapling can be between 3 and 15 years old when classified as a sapling, but that all depends on the species of tree, and range in height from 2 to 10 feet in height. Saplings are different from seedlings because seedlings are less than 3 years old.
The specific attributes of a tree sapling are that the trunk is more flexible than that of a mature tree and it has smoother bark. Mature trees have a thick, dark outer bark and saplings do not usually produce any sort of flower or fruit until they are mature. Now that we know what a tree sapling is, let us see how to plant one.
The things you will need are a shovel, and straw, chipped wood or other mulch material. After you have gotten all your materials, first you must make sure that the roots, stems, and leaves do not break off when you are taking it home from where ever you bought it.
Handle the tree by the container or by the burlap root ball. Second, dig a hole where you plan on putting the tree and make it two or three times wider and about as high as the tree root ball. Build a pile in the middle of the hole ,keeping the soil you dug up, and remove all packing burlap from the tree, including any plastic or ties.
Next, place the sapling tree root ball on the pile of dirt in the middle of the hole you dug. Lay roots parallel to each other or angled slightly down over the soil pile, allow the top part where the top of the roots become the trunk, to remain above the soil line.
Hold the tree upright, and fill 1/2 of the hole the extra soil from the hole you dug, pat the dirt down gently on the roots, fill the remaining part of the hole and pat it down again. After you have done that, place a 2-inch layer of mulch in diameter around the tree about 2 inches away from the tree trunk.
Soak the tree thoroughly for two weeks after planting to ensure the growth of the tree healthily. Irrigate weekly with 2 gallons of water per inch of the tree-trunk diameter. Now you will have a healthy growing tree!
