How Do I Plant a Maple Tree?

Planting a maple tree can be more complex then plating other types of trees, but it can provide you with years of joy and shade. As with any other tree, planting a maple tree can help the planet and enrich the local ecosystem. If you want to plant a maple tree just follow these steps.

Start by choosing between a seed and a sapling. Maple tree seeds can be bought online or picked up off the ground. A healthy maple tree seed should be between two and one half and four inches in diameter, with both wings intact. The seeds should not rattle in their pods. Maple tree saplings can be obtained at any garden center, and healthy ones should have a green stalk.

A maple tree should be planted in a location with good soil drainage, direct sunlight, and enough room for the tree to grow. These criteria will allow the maple tree everything that it needs to grow. Next, consider the size of the hole needed for the tree. If the hole is too deep, the plant will not grow; if it's too shallow, the plant will be exposed to animals. For a seed, the hole should be twice as deep as the seed is wide. For a sapling, the whole of the root bulb must be covered by at least an inch of soil.

If the plant or seed is being planted in the fall, then the soil should be covered in an inch of mulch. Mulch is the covering of choice because it traps more air, and will retain more ground heat then soil. Mulch is also preferable to fertilizer because fertilizer can cause a chemical burn that is harmful to plants. Water the maple tree as needed. The maple tree will need to be watered when the soil is dry an inch below the surface.

It is best to plant a maple tree in the fall, when the seeds drop naturally. This is when the seed will be ready to germinate. Germination is when the seed grows sprouts.

Written by Katie Gatto