It seems pretty simple to plant a tree. Dig a hole. Drop in a tree. Fill the hole. Add water. Go back inside and have a beer. What could go wrong? Yet year after year, we see trees planted incorrectly ...

When planting, the hole is key. Dig it at least twice as wide as the existing root ball. The larger, the better. The length of time it takes to get the tree established and growing is directly related ...

Place the stakes in the native soil surrounding the tree, spacing them equally. “You don’t want the stakes to be within the ...

The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our ...

In the new year, I find myself thinking about fresh starts in the garden. While many people see winter as a time of rest for ...

A plant’s root system has a profound effect on its overall health. Look at the roots of a sick, struggling plant, and you will often see a sick, struggling root system. While plants may tolerate ...

A person prepares to transplant a tree in their garden. Photo courtesy Getty Images. Welcome to our tree column, “Ask your local arborist.” Each month, arborists from the Davey Tree Expert Company in ...

Staking prevents the root ball from shifting and incurring damage while the tree acclimates to its surroundings. To reap the ...