How to Plant a Tree the Right Way in Oakland County

Updated September 2026 · Written by Rob Burgund, ISA Certified Arborist MI-4857A

• ISA Certified Arborist MI-4857A
• Working in Oakland County since 2013
• Licensed and insured
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Written by Rob Burgund

ISA Certified Arborist · MI-4857A
Rob owns Tree Pros, LLC in Bloomfield Township and is the arborist who quotes and works every job. He has been doing tree work in Oakland County since 2013. More about Rob and Tree Pros, or verify the certification in ISA’s public directory.

Why planting depth is the whole ballgame

The root flare is where the trunk widens out into the roots at ground level. Roots grow mostly sideways, not down. Michigan State University Extension notes that about 80 percent of a tree’s roots sit in the top 18 to 24 inches of soil, a wide, shallow pancake rather than a deep taproot. Those roots need to breathe. A common landscaper habit called a mulch volcano buries the flare under extra soil or a thick mound of mulch. Once that happens, the roots close to the surface cannot get enough air. The tree declines slowly: thinner growth, early fall color, dieback at the branch tips, sometimes years after planting.

Roots planted too deep also tend to circle back toward the trunk instead of spreading outward. A root that presses against the trunk, as both grow thicker, can eventually girdle it. That cuts off the tree’s own water and nutrient flow from the inside. By the time a girdling root shows on the surface, the damage underground has usually been building for years.

How to check the flare before you plant

Container-grown and balled-and-burlapped trees from a nursery almost always have extra soil piled over the actual root flare, which hides where it really is. Before the tree goes in the hole:

• Gently brush or hose away soil from the top of the root ball until you can see the flare, the point where the trunk visibly widens.
• Look for roots that are already circling the root ball, and straighten or cut them now rather than let them keep circling once planted.
• Set the tree so the flare sits level with, or very slightly above, the surrounding grade, not the top of the root ball or burlap.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources gives the same guidance for the hole itself. Dig it saucer-shaped: only as deep as the root ball, but about three times as wide. Rough up the sides so new roots can push through instead of hitting a smooth wall. Cut away burlap and remove any plastic pot, wrap or tie completely before backfilling. It is worth digging a wider hole than feels necessary; a small, tight hole in heavy Oakland County clay does more harm than digging too generously.

Mulch, watering and staking

Add mulch 3 to 4 inches deep over the planting area, but leave a bare 6-inch ring right around the trunk. Mulch piled against the bark holds moisture there and invites the same kind of decay and pest pressure that a buried root flare does; a mulch ring, not a mulch volcano, is the goal. Water newly planted trees deeply and often through the first year, soaking the whole area under the branch spread rather than just the base of the trunk, and keep watering through the second year in a dry summer. The Michigan DNR does not recommend fertilizing at planting or for the first three years; a new tree’s priority is root establishment, not top growth.

Staking is optional and most new trees do not need it. Stake only if the site is windy or the crown is dense. Drive two stakes six to eight inches outside the root ball, on opposite sides. Tie the trunk loosely below the first branch with a wide strap, never wire. Remove the stakes after one year. A tree left staked for years develops a weaker trunk, since some trunk movement in wind is what builds the taper and strength a tree needs to stand on its own.

Picking a species that will not be a problem in twenty years

Emerald ash borer killed most of the untreated ash across this region because so much of the local tree stock was one species planted at scale. Michigan State University Extension’s guidance on tree selection comes down to matching the right plant to the right site. It also means avoiding monoculture: aim for no more than about 10 percent of any one species in a neighborhood or a planting plan. Several species are genuinely native to Michigan and well suited to home landscapes here. Red maple tolerates wet and acidic soils and colors well in fall. American hornbeam and ironwood handle tougher, shadier sites. Honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree and serviceberry are also native, despite often being sold as ornamental introductions.

Whatever you plant, match the species to the actual site conditions, soil drainage, sun exposure, and how much room the mature canopy will need, rather than picking based on how a small nursery specimen looks today. A tree that outgrows its spot ends up needing the kind of aggressive pruning, or eventual removal, that proper species selection avoids entirely.

Do not plant a new tree where a stump was just ground

If you are replacing a tree lost to storm damage or emerald ash borer, do not plant directly in the same spot the old stump was ground out. Fresh wood chips and sawdust left in the ground tie up nitrogen as they decompose, competing with a new tree’s roots for the same nutrients right when it needs them most. Give it a few feet of clearance from the old root zone, or wait a season and amend the soil if the same spot is the only option.

Have us plant it for you →What to plant after losing an ash →Stump grinding before you replant →Tree health care and root flare excavation →

Frequently asked questions