N.C. Forest Service - Arbor Day Giveaway

Select the planting site based on the size and needs of your tree.

If you can’t plant your tree in the ground within 24 hours, plant it in a pot with potting soil temporarily so it will survive until you find the right spot.

To learn more about your tree, select the appropriate species below.

Plant the tree.

1. Dig a hole three times as wide as the tree’s roots and deep enough to cover all the roots.
2. Center your new tree in the hole. Add loose soil to the bottom of the hole so the tree roots sit just below ground.
3. Spread the roots out evenly from the trunk. Unwrap any roots that have circled around the trunk.
4. Fill the planting hole with the same soil removed from hole. Optionally, you can add up to 25% potting soil mix to the soil.
5. Tamp the soil down gently with your hand and foot, but not too tightly!
6. Use any excess soil to build a low berm, approximately1.5 inches tall, around the planting hole. This will help hold water.
7. Cover the exposed soil of the planting site with 3 inches of mulch.
8. Soak the planting area with water.
9. Do not fertilize your new tree. Transplanting is an ordeal for trees, and fertilizers will stress trees further by stimulating the wrong type of growth.

Post a photo and tag @ncforestservice on Facebook and X with hashtags #ArborDay and #ArborDay2025.

Caring for Your Tree After It’s Planted

First Year: 

Don’t fertilize. Prune dead branches only. New trees are thirsty! Check and water the tree regularly. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. Too little or too much water can kill a tree. Wilting leaves can be a symptom of either condition. Dig down in the soil at the edges of the planting area. Gather and ball some soil in your hand:

• If soil crumbles, water.
• If soil forms a ball in your hand, don’t water.
• If soil is soggy wet, don’t water and allow it to dry out.

Second Year: 

Don’t fertilize. Prune dead branches only. Continue the watering prescription as above.

Years Three to Five: 

Continue the watering prescription as above. If the tree crown is adding new growth, your tree is ready for training! Training is selective pruning that helps a tree grow a stable branching structure and form. A slow-release balanced fertilizer may be applied in accordance with the label.

Visit our Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Resources and Specifications webpage and click on the Urban Forestry section for more information or contact a local N.C. Forest Service office for more information on tree training.

Note: Newly transplanted trees usually do not grow much during their first year. They spend this time getting adjusted to their new home and growing their roots. Once they have a healthy root system, the tree branches will start to grow. The transplant recovery can take up to five years.