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The Daily Insight

How do you care for a newly planted evergreen tree?

Author

David Ramirez

Published Jun 03, 2026

How do you care for a newly planted evergreen tree?

Give your tree about 1-inch of water every week (rainfall counts!) for the first year or two after planting. For now, only cut branches off your evergreen if they’re dead or damaged. Mulch the tree to help lock in soil moisture. The mulch should be about two inches deep and kept about five inches away from the trunk.

How do you plant evergreen trees?

Planting Guides How to Plant Evergreen Trees

  1. Remove all packaging.
  2. Water the tree in its pot.
  3. Choose a suitable planting site for the needs of your tree.
  4. Prepare the soil.
  5. Dig a hole the depth of the pot.
  6. Put the tree in its hole and replace most of the soil.
  7. Water well, let the water drain and put back the rest of the soil.

When should I start watering my evergreens in the spring?

Start watering trees in spring when… Trees need water before their leaf out date. Depending on where you live, that date could fall anywhere from mid-March to early May. Supplemental watering is needed only if the weather has been exceptionally dry.

How often should you water newly planted evergreens?

1 Water evergreen trees regularly during the first year after planting. Give the tree 1 to 3 inches of water every week, unless moisture comes in the form of rainfall. Watering deeply once or twice weekly is better than more frequent, shallow irrigation, as deep watering will develop long, healthy roots.

What evergreen tree grows fastest?

Which evergreens grow the fastest? Eastern white pine and green giant arborvitae are some of the fastest-growing evergreens. Each add on about 2 feet every year!

Should trees be watered in the spring?

Adequate Watering is Just One Aspect of Proper Tree Care in the Spring. While appropriate watering is an essential component of spring tree care, it is just one of several interconnected steps that property owners need to take to promote the health and growth of their trees.

When should you start watering in the spring?

Typically, you should wait until the days become consistently hot and dry to start watering. You can even wait for your lawn to start showing signs of stress before you start watering; it will recover quickly once you treat it to a good soak.

What’s the best way to plant an evergreen tree?

Using a drill bit in the soil will dull it quickly, so it’s better to use an old one rather than a nice new sharp one. We have an auger which is perfectly sized for planting evergreen plug transplants stupidly fast using the identical method. Have a look at our tree seedling planting videos for detailed instructions.

How often should you plant an evergreen tree?

Evergreens need soil at appropriate pH levels [5.5 to 6.5] to properly absorb nutrientsSave yourself some time and headaches! With just a bit of practice, you should be able to plant a seedling every 90 seconds. Watch our instructional planting videos on how to properly plant a tree, and do it quickly.

When to plant a tree the right way?

That makes fall the very best time of year to relocate trees and shrubs or plant new ones. Early spring is a popular time as well. An easy way to know if your hole is at the right depth is to take your shovel handle and lay it across the grade. The top of the root ball or tree flare should be at or above the handle level. -1.

How long does it take for an evergreen tree to grow?

When planting, point the green end up! After a year getting acclimated to it’s new location, healthy evergreen tree seedlings will typically add 8″ to 16″ of new growth per year. The first year’s growth may be less, since bare root trees must first re-establish their root systems before putting on new growth.

The key to success in planting evergreen trees is to keep the root-ball undisturbed. Do not shake off soil or cut the roots. If it seems that the root-ball inside the pot is not solid, and this can happen, it is quite normal, then leave your tree in its pot, take a sharp knife and cut around the bottom of the pot and remove the base.

Evergreens need soil at appropriate pH levels [5.5 to 6.5] to properly absorb nutrientsSave yourself some time and headaches! With just a bit of practice, you should be able to plant a seedling every 90 seconds. Watch our instructional planting videos on how to properly plant a tree, and do it quickly.

When to plant evergreen trees in the winter?

It’s important to plant evergreen trees where the potential for drying out in the winter is minimized. Coniferous needles have a waxy coating that helps them conserve water, but winter sun and wind can dry the needles, taking moisture from the tree. Typically, evergreen trees prefer full sun in the summer, and shade in the winter.

When to water a newly planted evergreen tree?

Water every day or two for the first 2-3 months, until the plant is well established. Water the tree well especially during the dry season to establish roots. The most common reason for any newly planted tree to die is the lack of enough water. We don’t recommend staking a young evergreen unless it is in an especially windy location.