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Tree Planting: Don't Amend the Hole—Loosen a Wide Area Instead

Research since 1975 (Dr. Carl Whitcomb) shows adding organic matter to the planting hole does not benefit trees. Roots quickly leave the amended zone.

Best Practice

Loosen soil in a 10-foot diameter circle around the planting spot.
Plant at the same depth as the container.
Mulch the entire area; keep grass away from the trunk.

See Gilman (2004) research summary: treelink.org.

Wide loosening encourages rapid root expansion into native soil.

About Gardening: Raised Beds Around Trees: How Much Soil Is Safe?; Creating Planting Beds: Why Newspaper Layers Fail and Better Methods; Soil Solarization: A Low-Cost Way to Sterilize Soil; Texas Olive Tree (Cordia boissieri) in Sandy Soil; Reviving a Lawn Over Old Oak Tree Roots; Planting Colorado Blue Spruce Seedlings: Spacing, Soil, and Watering; Planting an Apple Tree in Rocky, Upstate New York Soil; Designing a Butterfly-Friendly Perennial Garden in Northern South Carolina Clay Soil; Why You Should Remove That Tree Watering Ring After the First Year; Planting Trees Correctly: Wide Hole, No Amendments, Find the Flare

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