How to Dig a Perfect Planting Hole

Growing an exceptional tree starts with the simplest thing: a planting hole. Dig a great hole, grow a great tree! Bonus demonstration video included.

The better the foundation, the better the end result. That's true not only for buildings and ideas, but also for trees! Make sure your fruit trees get off to the best possible start by giving their roots a great place to grow. Elmer walks through the easy steps of how to dig the perfect planting hole: the foundation of success for any fruit tree grower. Growing an exceptional tree starts with the simplest thing: a good planting hole. Dig a great hole, grow a great tree! Today we're going to show you how to dig and prepare the best planting spot for your fruit tree.

Materials

You’re only going to need a few things to prepare the perfect planting hole:

A brick of coco-fiber growing medium (optional)
A bucket
Some warm water
A good digging shovel

There are 3 things your fruit tree will need from the soil:

air (yep! even in the soil)
adequate water drainage
nutrients

To make sure that your soil can meet all 3 of these needs, we're recommend amending (mixing) it with coco-fiber medium. Soak your coco-fiber brick at least 15-20 minutes before planting, to ensure that it's loose and mixable with the soil.

Digging the Hole

For a 2-year-old bare-root tree from Stark Bro’s, we recommend digging a hole that's at least 2 feet around and deep to accommodate the tree's root system with room to grow. A perfectly dug hole should give the roots enough room to spread out comfortably. Now you have a great start to any fruit-bearing tree or plant: all-natural, soil-enriching coco-fiber and a roomy planting hole. You're ready to plant! Watch Elmer demonstrate How to Dig a Perfect Planting Hole »