City of Golden Valley - Basic Planting Tips Basic Planting Tips Planting trees to create urban forests is an excellent goal, but if it's not done correctly the effort can be worthless.
Planting requires planning, long-term care, and knowledge of trees and their needs.
The American Forestry Association estimates that young trees will grow twice as fast when planted correctly and will live twice as long as trees planted improperly. Planting too deep is one of the top five causes of urban tree mortality. Under normal conditions, root growth is best encouraged by planting the root ball even with the surrounding terrain. In arid climates, a basin can be used to collect precious water. Mulch Mulching, which involves placing shredded hardwood, bark, wood chips, decorative gravel, or other materials on the soil around the tree, can greatly enhance the tree's health.