How To Plant a River Birch Tree (Video)

In this video, I show you how to plant a River Birch tree, but these basic principles apply to nearly any tree, regardless of cultivar.

Some additional info on planting this tree:

Many River Birch trees have multiple trunks – this particular cultivar has only one trunk.

You may question the time of year I’m planting this tree

I planted in mid-September when the danger of hot days still lingers. We had a heatwave this year of temperatures over 100 degrees for a sustained period, and this tree was sitting in a container at the nursery the entire time, but it still looks good. In the fall, you can get some really sweet deals on nursery products, as they want to move them off their lot – I paid half price for this tree and had it delivered at no additional charge. Additionally, planting in the fall is preferred to spring planting, as the warm, dry soil and less threat of sudden, extreme heat gives tree roots plenty of opportunity to grow.

I point out that the roots have grown out of the bottom of the container

That means that the tree is root-bound, which sends up a red flag that it’s been in the container too long. It will need some TLC before and after I plant it. One step I don’t show in the video is loosening the roots from the planting medium. When I removed the tree from the container, the roots were really difficult to loosen, especially near the bottom. I used a three-prong garden cultivator and gently dug in between the roots and the planting medium to loosen things up as much as possible without damaging the roots. This should allow water and nutrients to penetrate and stimulate new root growth. This step is essential when planting any kind of tree or shrub which is root-bound.

My soil in that part of my yard is pretty atrocious despite my best efforts

My house (and neighborhood) sits on top of very alkaline clay. Dig deep enough (and sometimes not very deep at all) and you’ll find red clay that’s almost as hard as a brick – literally.

Some experts will tell you to use 75% compost and 25% of the soil that came out of the hole as backfill

Backfill is what you put back in after the tree is in the hole. That’s a pretty good rule of thumb – it all depends on your soil. When you put the backfill in the hole, do it in alternating layers of soil and compost. After each layer, fill the hole all the way to the top with water (gently) and let it drain. When you’ve layered the compost and soil to within an inch of the top, press the dirt down with your foot and make it nice and snug (don’t compact it!) to work out any gaps between the root ball and the dirt. NOTE: As of 2020, horticulturists now recommend that you only add the original soil back into the planting hole and layer the compost on top. This encourages better root growth beyond the planting hole.

I always create a “basin” on the perimeter of the filled-in hole

This serves to collect water, stop runoff, and feed the roots. Make sure the basin is level all the way around so water doesn’t run and pool on one side. Leave the basin open for about one month until you see signs of root growth. Obviously, you won’t see the actual roots growing, but you will be able to see healthy green leaves on the tree, new buds, new leaves, and just a generally healthy, sturdy-looking tree.