Not so “elemen-tree”: how to plant a tree

by Tremayne Stanton-Kennedy

Planting Nannyberry trees in the heat, on a slope, in the clay – a thankless job for which we are most thankful!

Planting trees should be an elementary activity in theory, right? Just dig hole, place tree, fill in and go! The reality is more complicated, as proper tree planting requires greater due diligence than people realise. How you dig the hole, place the tree, stabilise and back fill soil are essential for tree survival – and, are items sadly ignored even by some professional installers (just look more closely at trees in parking lots the next time you go shopping – suckering near the bottom of the trunk means an unhappy tree!)

We developed this quick comic instruction to teach a corporate volunteer team how to plant trees on a slope during a wildlife habitat creation project. Proof of efficacy? Every tree was properly planted, unlike in some previous events! Our Microsoft volunteers hacked their way through hard-pan clay and tree roots (from cleared invasive trees – no native trees were hurt in this process) to get the job done.