Congrats on your new seedling! With the proper care, this seedling will grow to be a healthy tree.
Please plant your seedling as soon as possible. Read below for instructions on how to plant and care for your new seedling
Siting:
Though your seedling is small now, we hope it grows into a large, mature tree. Because of this, it is important to properly site your tree so it has plenty of room to grow. Small trees (<30 ft at maturity) should be planted at least 8-10 ft away from your house or other structures. Medium trees (30-70 ft at maturity) should be planted at least 15 ft away, and large trees (>70 ft at maturity) should be planted at least 20 ft away.
You can use iTree Design to figure out where the best place to plant your seedling for energy savings is around your house.
Important things to remember when you plant:
- The hole should be as deep as the roots are.
- Remove sod and grass around the seedling so there is no competition for water and nutrients.
- Make sure to compact the soil afterwards (but not too much), so the tree has stability.
- Small trees (<30’ at maturity) should be planted at least 8-10’ away from your house or other structures. Medium trees (30-70’ at maturity) should be planted at least 15’ away, and large trees (>70’ at maturity) should be planted at least 20’ away.
Proper planting depth:
You’ll want to find the root collar, where the roots meet the stem, and plant level with that spot on the seedling.
Graphic courtesy of National Forest Service.
Planting with a shovel:
Information about the different species:
| Tree Species | Sun | Soil | Size (height) | Size (spread) |
| Hackberry | full sun or partial shade | widely adaptable | 50–70′ | 30-50′ |
| American Redbud | full sun to partial shade | average to moist | 20-30′ | ~15′ |
| Paw paw | full sun to partial shade; will fruit more heavily in full sun | moist, fertile, well drained soils (can tolerate) | 15-30′ | 15-30′ |
| Serviceberry | full sun or partial shade | moist, well-drained soils | 20-30′ | 15–25′ |
| Pin Oak | full sun | medium to wet, loamy, acidic | 50-70′ | 30-50′ |
Might this be you one day?
Hear from Robin how a seedling she picked up for free in 1991 has grown into a massive evergreen 30 years later…