| I recently bought a peach tree. according to the planting directions on this site i should remove the burlap. but the tree says not to disturb the burlap. what should i do? leave it on or remove it? |
| The problems you can encounter when leaving the burlap around the roots is that until the burlap rots and frees the roots, they will grow around and around instead of venturing out into the soil. This type of root growth can girdle the tree and cause an early death. If the root mass is very large and you cannot easily remove the burlap prior to planting you can make several slits in the burlap so the roots can grow through. I prefer to dig the proper sized hole, completely remove the burlap and set the new tree in the hole. It's okay if the soil or sawdust clinging to the roots falls off during the unwrapping phase as long as you get the roots into the planting hole before they dry out or are exposed to sunshine for an extended period of time. Backfill around the roots with native soil and tamp it down to exclude air pockets. After planting water the tree well to help settle the soil. Best wishes with your new tree. |
