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- Dig a hole
at least two to three times as wide as the root ball and twice as deep. Backfill the hole halfway and tamp it lightly so that the top of the root ball is level with the original ground grade after planting.
- Plant. Remove your new tree carefully from its plastic container and place in the center of the hole, keeping it as straight and vertical as possible. Do not remove the small bamboo stake attached to the
tree. The stake will help your tree grow straight for the first year. Backfill the hole about halfway, tamping the soil down lightly as you go to avoid air pockets. Insert the supplied fertilizer packet intact a
few inches from the root ball and backfill the rest of the hole, once more tamping lightly as you go. Use any excess soil to build a collar or "berm," approximately 12 inches from the center of the
tree, to hold in water. At this point, water your Princeton Elm thoroughly and let the water soak in before proceeding.
- Install the Tree Guard. Your tree has been shipped with a tree guard of the same type used by professional tree growers. The guard helps repel grazing damage from deer and rodents and physical damage from
lawn mowers, weed eaters and other garden tools or equipment. Using the tree guard will also help promote growth of your Princeton Elm in its early stages. To install the guard, simply wrap it around the tree
with the soft plastic collar up. Use the quick-connect slide clips we've provided to attach both sides together, but do not tighten them all the way. Thread the large bamboo stake provided through all of the
clips, and drive the stake into the ground in the direction of the prevailing wind. Tighten the slide clips all of the way to hold the tree guard in place.
- Mulch around your elm well with organic mulch such as bark chips or pine straw.
- After planting your new Princeton American elm, you will need to continue to water it periodically, as much as twice a week for the first month or two until it begins to establish new roots into the
surrounding soil. Continue to water occasionally for up to one year if you live in a warm climate or if you are experiencing dry or drought conditions.
- After the first year of growth, you may want to re-stake your Princeton elm
with a larger stake available from your local garden center or hardware store. Simply remove the old stake and insert the new one into the same hole. Tie the tree trunk close to the new stake with garden tie or biodegradable twine. The following year, staking should no longer be necessary.
- We are currently working on comprehensive, illustrated elm pruning instructions and will soon add them to this page. If you have questions about the growth of your elm, please e-mail us at elminfo@riveredgefarms.com
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