A correctly planted tree will grow more quickly, will be healthier and more attractive, and will live longer than an incorrectly planted one. A healthy tree will also have a stronger and larger root system better able to draw moisture from the soil. This allows it to better withstand the periodic droughts of arid New Mexico.

When you purchase a new tree from a nursery, it will come one of three ways: As a container tree, a ball and burlapped tree, or a bare-root tree. A containerized tree is simply a tree in a container (usually a plastic pot). Balled-and-burlapped trees are usually larger specimens that have been dug out of the field. After the tree is dug up, its root ball is wrapped in burlap fabric and covered with a wire cage. A bare-root tree, as the name implies, has no covering on the roots at all.  This is often the case with fruit trees.

Container tree

Balled-and-burlapped tree

Bare-root tree

To plant a containerized tree, follow the steps below:

  1. Remove soil and roots from the top of the root ball to expose the root collar. Carefully remove the root ball from the container and set the tree on undisturbed soil in the center of the hole. The root collar should be even with the existing grade of the landscape soil after planting. (see sketch for more information.)
  2. Loosen the soil three to five times the width of the root ball (or as wide as possible) and as deep as the root ball. Tree roots grow best in loosened soil that has pore spaces for water and oxygen. The walls of the hole should be tapered away from the hole.
  3. Trim back roots that have begun to circle the root ball.
  4. Partially fill the hole with soil and firm it slightly. Water thoroughly and finish backfilling the hole with soil. Pack the soil firmly but not tightly around the root ball.
  5. Build a small berm of soil around the root ball. Fill the berm with water two or three times to make sure the soil is completely moist. Thereafter, begin a regular watering schedule.
  6. Place a protective circle of mulch, three feet wide or wider, around the tree. The mulch should not touch the root collar and should be installed at a depth of 3 to 4 inches for best results.
  7. Water your tree regularly. (See post on how to water a newly planted tree)

To plant a balled-and-burlapped (B&B) tree, follow the steps below:

  1. Remove soil and roots from the top of the root ball to expose the root collar. Carefully set the tree on undisturbed soil in the center of the hole. The root collar should be even with the existing grade of the landscape soil after planting. (see sketch for more information.)
  2. Loosen the soil three to five times the width of the root ball (or as wide as possible) and as deep as the root ball. Tree roots grow best in loosened soil that has pore spaces for water and oxygen. The walls of the hole should be tapered away from the hole.
  3. Carefully place the root ball in the center of the hole. The top of the root ball or bottom of the root collar (see photo) should be even with the soil level. Take note of the tree flair in the sketch.
  4. Remove twine or string, burlap, and if the root ball is surrounded by a wire basket, cut and remove the wire basket. Be careful to avoid breaking up the root ball.
  5. Partially fill the hole with soil and firm it slightly. Water thoroughly and finish backfilling the hole with soil. Pack the soil firmly but not tightly around the root ball.
  6. Build a small berm of soil around the root ball. Fill the berm with water two or three times to make sure the soil is completely moist. Thereafter, begin a regular watering schedule.
  7. Place a protective circle of mulch, three feet wide or wider, around the tree. The mulch should not touch the root collar and should be installed at a depth of 3 to 4 inches for best results.
  8. Water your tree regularly. (See post on how to water a newly planted tree)

PRO TIP: If possible, plant trees in valleys and depressions in the landscape so rainwater will naturally collect and give the tree a good soaking. Direct roof downspouts and canals towards trees.

Newly planted trees do, however, need water. Do a thorough watering at planting. Water again about 3 days after the first planting. Then water once a week for the next four weeks. Continue watering once a month for the rest of the winter. Every time you water, make sure it is a deep soak. That means watering to a depth of 24 inches. See how deep am I watering for instructions on how to measure watering depth.

Be sure to add mulch around your new trees. We recommend using an organic mulch installed to a depth of 3 inches around the tree, keeping mulch a few inches away from the trunk of the tree.

Staking a tree is not necessary unless your tree is located in a super windy spot. If you do stake the tree be sure the tie is not too tight. Promptly remove it one year after planting the tree.

Soil amendments are not necessary if you choose the right tree for the native soil conditions in your yard.

Water-Wise Vegetable Gardening

With our hot summers and low precipitation, growing vegetables in NM can be
challenging. This talk will provide strategies and recommendations for growers to
cultivate a thriving vegetable harvest in the region. Discussion will include irrigation and infrastructure suggestions, as well as selection of vegetable varieties that are well-adapted to the area.

Instructor: Stephanie Walker, PhD. Professor and Vegetable Specialist, New Mexico
State University, Extension Plant Sciences Department.

Maintaining Tree Health During Drought

Learn from Albuquerque’s leading tree expert how to identify drought stress in trees,
understand their responses to drought, and implement strategies to keep them alive and thriving in hot, dry weather.

Instructor: Joran Viers, Board Certified Master Arborist and Municipal Specialist,
International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Senior Arborist, Legacy Tree Company,
Albuquerque. Former City Forester, City of Albuquerque

Creating a Drought-Tolerant Refuge for Yourself and Wildlife

Instructor: Laurel Ladwig, M.S. She is the ABQ Backyard Refuge Program Director for the Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, a part-time faculty member in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, and Associate Director of the R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography at the University of New Mexico and is enthusiastic about all opportunities to encourage people to develop a relationship with our wild neighbors.

Designing Resilient Landscapes: Plant Adaptations, Communities, and Selection for Arid Environments

Instructor: Maria Thomas is the Curator of Plants at the ABQ BioPark where she manages the botanical exhibits, plant collections, horticultural staff, and related programs for the 150-acre public park and garden. Additionally, Maria is an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Mexico in the Landscape Architecture department.

Climate-Ready Trees- Planting for a Warmer and (Hopefully) Shadier Future

Instructor: Marisa Y. Thompson, PhD Extension Urban Horticulture Specialist. New Mexico State University Department of Extension Plant Sciences, Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center, Think Trees NM, President of the Board (2023-current).

Plant Adaptations to Heat & Drought

Noticing the Ways Plants Thrive in our Yards and Natural Areas Learn how to Recognize Drought-Adapted Traits in Everyday Plants all Around Us.

Instructor: Marisa Y. Thompson, PhD Extension Urban Horticulture Specialist. New Mexico State University Department of Extension Plant Sciences, Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center, Think Trees NM, President of the Board (2023-current).

Hose Bib Tree Irrigation System for Your Trees: Simple Systems for Thriving Trees!

Instructor: Richard Perce has twenty years’ experience working with trees and irrigation here in New Mexico. He is a former certified arborist and currently holds the Irrigation Association’s Landscape Irrigation Auditor certification and is a certified QWEL irrigation instructor. He worked as a landscape contractor for more than a decade and is the Water Authority’s former Irrigation Efficiency Specialist. He also has a Masters of Community and Regional Planning from UNM and currently works at Anthropopulus Design + Planning.

Passive Rainwater Harvesting

This workshop introduces participants to the principles and practices of passive rainwater harvesting. Attendees will learn how to capture, slow, spread, and infiltrate rainwater into the landscape using simple, low-cost methods such as swales, berms, and basins. The workshop emphasizes working with the natural flow of water to reduce runoff, prevent erosion, and support healthy soil and plant life. By implementing passive rainwater harvesting, participants can conserve water, and create more resilient, self-sustaining landscapes.

Instructors: Anthony Luketich, Natural Resource Scientist, Anthony Luketich is a Natural Resources Scientist for Bernalillo County where he is focused on water conservation and water-wise landscape practices. He received a degree in Watershed Management and Ecohydrology from the University of Arizona where he studied the relationship between trees and water. Anthony has worked across the Southwest US as a research scientist as well as a water harvesting field technician where he became a certified water harvesting practitioner.

Bobby Mullin, Natural Resource Scientist, Bernalillo County Stormwater Quality Program Bobby Mullin is a Natural Resource Scientist for Bernalillo County in the Stormwater Quality Program. He focuses on improving stormwater quality in the Middle Rio Grande Watershed and promoting sustainable and resilient landscapes using Green Stormwater Infrastructure and rainwater harvesting. Bobby received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Bucknell University in 2011. Before joining Bernalillo County, he had worked as an environmental consultant remediating contaminated soil and groundwater and as a Research Scientist studying the impacts of climate change, drought and plant mortality in New Mexico ecosystems.

Xeriscape: The Desert Friendly Yard

Join us for learning all of the tips, and benefits of our Xeriscape program!

3 Steps to Landscape Success

Service, Settings, and Selection are the keys to landscape success!