You've just made the best decision of your life: You've decided to have iTrees.com (not us *blushing*) deliver and plant your tree for you. Before you know it, our expert tree-planting crew will be on their way with your new tree— ready for its new home!
To help ensure a smooth tree-planting day, we've put together a few tips and a helpful tree-planting-day checklist.
Utility Locates & Planting Site
Scheduling:
Before our crew arrives, we’ll be in contact with you about scheduling. Please keep an eye on your email and your contact information up-to-date.
You will receive an email with about a one-week notice to coordinate your tree planting date and time. Please be sure to add us to your contacts so that you don't miss any communications.
If you can’t be home for the planting, that is no problem at all. Our crew will happily plant wherever you’ve indicated. So long as they have adequate access to the site and the area is marked— they can get the job done.
Utility Locates:
Upon scheduling your planting, we will need to submit a J.U.L.I.E. dig ticket. We do this for the safety of everyone and because it is the law.
Use a labeled white flag or stake to pre-mark the planting site. This is helpful to the utility company locators and to our crew. Please communicate where you want to plant with us before you’re scheduled. This way, we can have that information when we put in the dig ticket.
Next, utility companies will then come out to mark out where any underground utilities are using either spray paint or flags (sometimes both).
J.U.L.I.E. does not locate private utilities. This is the responsibility of the property owner. We will not be responsible for any damages incurred. Examples of private utilities would be, septic, irrigation, any private electrical or gas line, and more. Please be sure to have these located before our crew arrives.
Planting Site & Access:
Please be sure to select a planting site about 5-10 feet away from any stump. Our crew cannot plant on top of a stump. Flexibility is needed.
Our crew will need adequate access to the site. Please be sure to communicate any instructions for accessing the site, and any issues to the iTrees.com staff in advance.
Delivery & Planting
On the day of planting, your tree will be hand-selected by the nursery. That is unless you have come out to our holding yard and tagged your tree ahead of time. Our crew will have your trees loaded on the iTrees.com truck, secured, and ready to go very early in the morning. You can expect delivery within the two-hour time slot found in your scheduling email.
We try to be as diligent as possible to notify you if we are running early or late. If there is inclement weather in the forecast, we will wait to call you until the day of planting. If we need to postpone planting, we will get back to you about rescheduling as soon as we can.
We will dig the hole either by hand or using our Toro Dingo. The Toro Dingo is a 3 Ft Wide piece of equipment that is as turf-safe as they come. The Toro Dingo is used to move the trees off the truck and to their location. It is also used to help dig the hole for planting. In some cases, such as a narrow pathway, our crew may use a ball cart to move the tree.
After we dig the hole using the Toro Dingo, the crew will plant the tree, backfill, and mulch around it. There can be situations where hand-digging to plant is needed. We will also haul away any leftover dirt or sod. It’s important to us that your home looks as it was (or better) when we leave, except for now it has a tree there!
Tree Care
The most crucial part of tree care is watering. Newly planted trees require routine and thorough watering regularly for at least 3 years after planting.
Water Your Tree Immediately:
Water your tree immediately after planting. Consistent tree watering with a newly planted tree for the first few growing seasons will ensure a healthy tree for many years to come. The growing season in Chicagoland is usually mid-April to the middle/end of November. Yes, you will still need to water your tree throughout fall.
Water Once a Week:
Once a week, put your hose at the base of the trunk and let the hose run on a very slow trickle for one hour. Quality hoses are a good investment. They will last the longest and will hold up when left outside. There are a few options here.
You can use a traditional garden hose, or for more controlled water release, use a soaker ring, soaker hose, or a tree watering donut.
Pro-Tip →
Use a slow-release watering donut. This method is hands down the easiest and most efficient way to water your tree. Tree watering donuts take a lot of the guesswork out of watering. Our crew should have these on the truck, available for purchase at the time of planting. Also, you're welcome to order from our website directly, at the link below.
Order Tree Watering Donut HERE
View Full iTrees.com Tree Care Instructions HERE
For long-term tree care, have an Illinois Certified Arborist get eyes on your tree at least once a year.
Our customers highly recommend SavATree & Bartlett Tree Experts. Or, you can find an IAA Illinois Certified Arborist in your area right here.
Understanding Transplant Stress
Your newly planted tree is an investment— so you care for it like the asset that it is. You water it, nurture it, and then one day you start to see some leaves yellowing and browning, dropping even. You ask yourself, "Is my tree dying?"
We understand this can be a scary thought, and we are here to reassure you that your tree is probably not dying. Instead, the tree is suffering from what is commonly called transplant shock or transplant stress. iTrees.com takes careful precautions to minimize stress on trees during the delivery and installation process. Please understand that signs of stress due to transplanting are normal and expected.
What it Looks Like:
Yellowing and browning of leaves
Leaves wilting and dropping
What Happens if My Tree Is Dying:
Trees are living organisms. Sometimes, they do not make it. There are a few reasons why this could happen. We will personally work with you to remedy the situation and your concerns or replace your tree through our iTrees.com Assurance™ Full Replacement Warranty.
We are here to help. Please do not hesitate to call us to discuss your tree planting in more detail. We look forward to getting your tree in the ground- so you can start reaping the multitude of benefits it will provide.
Thank you for choosing iTrees.com!
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