Don’t do the stomp dance: Once the tree or shrub is set into the planting hole, you can backfill using the same native soil you removed from the hole. Firm the soil around the base of the plant with your hands. Do not stomp on the soil around a new plant. This pushes all of the air pockets from the soil profile. It is rather rude to the soil, and the result could be dancing on the grave of your new plant.
Don’t loose the crown: Woody trees and shrubs have a bump or ridge where the trunk meets the soil. Make sure this crown is a few inches above soil level. Planting trees and shrubs too deep – especially shallow-rooted rhodies and azaleas — is a common cause of a slow and painful suffocation. Scrape away the soil and mulch if your rhodies are suffering. They may just need air.
Add a well for rain water: You need to build a slight depression with a rim using soil around the base of your newly planted trees and shrubs to catch rainwater. This is especially important the first year.
Feather on the mulch: After planting, you should add a mulch of Moo-Doo, bark or wood chips at least two inches deep – but don’t allow this mulch to touch the crown of the new plant. This is especially important for rhododendrons and dogwoods that suffer from root rots when the mulch is allowed to pile up around the trunk. The technique called “feathering” is to make sure that the mulch is two to three inches deep a foot or two away from the trunk but apply less mulch as you move closer to the crown of the plant. The layer of mulch nearest the trunk should just barely cover the native soil.
