How to Plant & Care For Arborvites

How to Correctly Plant an Arborvitae

• 1

  Dig a hole large enough to give the roots of the arborvitae room to grow. If you are unsure as to how large that is, dig the hole twice as wide as the current root structure. Dig the whole only as deep as is necessary to plant the arborvitae with its current root structure. The idea is to have the top of the root structure even or slightly below the grade of the ground when the plant is set in the hole.

• 2

  Prepare the soil by adding any soil amendments if necessary. Arborvitae are tolerant of different soil types but they prefer soil that is moist, well drained and slightly acidic.

• 3

  Use the blade of your shovel (or your hands) and loosen the root structure of the arborvitae before planting. Do not be over aggressive as you may end up hurting the plant but the arborvitae will benefit from root loosening, especially if the arborvitae was in a pot for an extended period. If the arborvitae you are planting is balled and burlapped make sure to loosen the cage around the burlap (if there is one) and clear the burlap from the top of the plant.

• 4

  Place the arborvitae into the hole and backfill the soil around the arborvitae. Lightly press the soil around the plant and make sure to clear excessive soil from the top of the roots. An excess of soil on top of the root structure could potentially lead to suffocation of the aerial roots and the death of the plant.

• 5

  Water the plant in. Set up a regular watering schedule depending on your area and stick to it for the first week or so and slowly back off until the plant is self-sufficient.

Care and Maintenance

• 6

  Arborvitae do not require a lot of maintenance but they do respond well to the occasional trimming. Trim the plant to retain its shape or remove dead branches.

• 7

  Gardeners in deer country will need to be vigilant and watch for any sign of deer damage to the shrub. Most often, this occurs in the winter and an easy way to deter deer from browsing on your shrubs is to wrap them in burlap or put a fence around them.

• 8

  Arborvitae are very reliable growers but they grow better when they have adequate moisture in the soil. Make sure to keep them watered during protracted droughts or if they show signs of dehydration.