Plant a small balled-and-burlapped Douglas fir with the root flare at the soil line, leave 24 to 60 feet of room, and water it for two or three summers.
Plant a small balled-and-burlapped tree, with the flare at grade
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Spring or fall while you can water; a container on any workable day | Do not plant in a midsummer drought you cannot soak |
| Stock | A small balled-and-burlapped tree, or a young container | Do not dig a large wild tree, and do not wait until the plant is already a 20-foot specimen |
| Hole | Two to three times as wide as the root ball, and no deeper, with the flare at or slightly above the soil | Do not bury the flare, and do not dig a tight, deep cup that holds water |
| Mix | The soil you dug, loosened | Do not pile compost on the flare, and do not leave burlap or a wire basket around the trunk |
Douglas fir moves well when it is still small. [1] A balled-and-burlapped tree is the usual landscape stock. [2] Find the root flare before you dig, and set that flare at or slightly above the finished grade so the trunk does not sit in a well. [3]
- Choose a day in spring or fall when you can water. Slide a container plant on any workable day.
- Find the root flare by brushing soil off the top of the ball until the trunk widens.
- Dig a hole two to three times as wide as the ball, and no deeper, so the ball sits on undug soil.
- Set the flare level with the soil, or an inch or two high if the ground settles.
- Cut circling roots. Cut away burlap and a wire basket from the top of the ball so they do not girdle the trunk.
- Backfill with the soil you dug. Do not pile soil on the flare. Soak to the depth of the ball.
How deep do I plant a Douglas fir?
No deeper than the root ball. The flare sits level with the soil, or a little high.
Leave 24 to 60 feet of room, and water it for two or three summers
Leave 24 to 60 feet from buildings, wires, and other large trees, because a landscape Douglas fir needs that spread if you want the lower branches to stay on. A tree three feet from the foundation will hit the eaves, and cutting those lower limbs later leaves a bare trunk. A landscape tree reaches about 40 to 80 feet tall and 12 to 20 feet wide, so the hole is only the start. [4]
- Measure 24 to 60 feet from the house, the driveway, and overhead wires before you dig.
- Mulch two to three inches deep, and keep the mulch off the trunk.
- Water the planting hole through the first two or three summers when rain fails, about one to two gallons per inch of trunk diameter several times a week in heat.
- After that, watering follows the grown-plant plan on How to Grow Douglas Fir.
How far apart should you plant Douglas fir?
Leave 24 to 60 feet from buildings and other large trees. Do not set a landscape tree against the house.
If you buried the flare or parked the tree against the house, reset the young plant now.
FAQ
Should I plant Douglas fir in spring or fall?
Spring or fall while you can water. Skip a midsummer drought you cannot soak. A container plant can go in on any workable day.
Should I start from seed or buy a nursery tree?
Buy a small nursery tree if you want a landscape plant this decade. Seed is a separate start on Growing Douglas Fir From Seed.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pseudotsuga-menziesii/ - [2] University of Florida IFAS -
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST528 - [3] Colorado State Forest Service -
https://csfs.colostate.edu/forests-trees/selecting-planting-and-caring-for-trees/how-to-plant-a-tree/ - [4] The Morton Arboretum -
https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/douglas-fir/
This note is part of Pseudotsuga Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors