How to Plant a Tree Island

Decide on a shape for your tree island. It can be perfectly circular for a well-tailored look or asymmetrical and sort of amoeba-shaped for a more natural look. Sprinkle mulch to mark the outside border of your tree island; the border should be at least 3 feet away from the trunk.

Smother the grass under your tree the fall before you plan to plant. If your tree sheds a little leaf litter that decomposes quickly, sprinkle about an inch of mulch all over the inside of your border. If your tree drops lots of litter that piles up, sprinkle about 3 inches of mulch. Keep the mulch about 6 inches from the trunk base.

Set a mowing strip around your tree island in the spring before planting the island. Choose edging stones about 8 inches wide and about 10 inches long. They can be uniform or amorphous. Use a trowel to dig a hole for each stone and set them nearly level with the ground, packing dirt firmly around them. This prevents the ground cover and the grass from growing together.

Add another layer of mulch to your tree island. Dig holes about 4 inches deep and 5 inches wide for each seedling and plant them about 6 inches apart on all sides. Low-spreading ground covers like periwinkle, garden violet and snow on the mountain work well. You can plant one ground cover or several to create a patterned look.

Water the seedlings well, so that the soil is damp but not soaked. Water them this way about every week unless the weather is exceptionally dry or hot, then do it every three days. Continue until the plants begin to grow together; they should be able to self-maintain after that.