Definition: Balled and burlapped plants are transplants shipped to the consumer after having been planted, dug

up and wrapped. "Balled" refers to the rootball which has been dug up, while "burlapped" refers to the wrapping material traditionally used for transporting tree and shrub deliveries. The burlap is secured with string, wire or twine. When purchasing balled-andburlapped plants, ask if the burlap has been treated to be rot-resistant. Anything not biodegradable needs to be removed when planting (e.g., wire and rot-resistant burlap). Also Known As: B and B, or B & B, ball in burlap, balled in burlap, ball and burlap Alternate Spellings: balled-and-burlapped, balled and burlaped Common Misspellings: ballednburlapped, balled-n-burlapped, ballednberlapped, balled and burrlapped Examples: "Some nurseries sell mainly balled-and-burlapped stock." How to Plant Balled and Burlap Saplings

Planting Balled in Burlap Trees Illustration Courtesy of Vestavia Hills Tree Commission Important: Saplings should not be soaked prior to planting. In most cases you do not need to remove the burlap (remove strings/strapping) but you do need to clip roots circling the outside of the root ball and/or on bottom. Never fertilize in planting hole!

Dig a hole 2 to 5 times wider than the root ball. In the bottom and center of the hole, leave a planting base of undisturbed soil. Put the root ball on undisturbed soil flush to 2" over the top of the hole. Hold tree while backfilling with dirt and soil minus large clods. Remove grass and weeds within 6 inches of tree bole. With excess soil, build small berm around hole to saucer water toward roots. Water and mulch.

Always mulch but not excessively. Over mulching can be repellent to water. Utah State University has researched the most popular literature on tree root ball packing material and how to deal with it. All of the experts suggest that burlap and wire should either be completely removed or significantly adjusted. "For trees in wire baskets, cut and remove wire. Cut away strings & burlap or plastic, exposing root ball. Don't remove soil from ball. If tree is container grown, cut and remove container." United States Forest Service "Don't use non-biodegradable strings and other (root ball packing) materials. It is best to remove the string and pull back the burlap. It is wise to remove burlap to examine the roots, or to see if there are roots." - Alex Shigo

"Remove twine, treated burlap, and wire baskets from around the upper part of the root ball after the tree is placed in the planting hole." - Dr. Gary Watson, Morton Arboretum "Remove wire baskets and all burlap except for the very bottom of the root ball." - Tony Dietz, Urban Forester "Remove the wire from around the top 8-12" of the root ball. Before removing wire and rope/twine partially backfill to support root ball. If the root ball has broken apart ... it may not be wise to plant it. Fold burlap back from the trunk and the top of the root ball if the root ball is firm and fold it down to be buried when backfilling. If the burlap is sturdy or treated, carefully remove it or at least make large cuts in it. (MK's note: most burlap I've observed is treated and will not decay quickly, meaning that Harris et al. would recommend removal if the root ball is firm). " - Arboriculture, 3rd ed. "Cut and remove the string and wire from around the trunk and top 1/3 of the root ball." International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Balled and burlapped plants have been grown in field nursery rows, dug with soil intact, wrapped with burlap, and tied with twine. The size of the root ball will vary with plant size. The diameter of the root ball should be 10 to 12 times the diameter of the tree trunk measured 6 inches off the ground. Most of the plants sold as balled and burlapped (B&B) plants are large, evergreen plants and deciduous trees. They transplant best during late fall and early winter but can be successfully done in the spring. Some field-grown plants are being produced in fabric bags. They are handled essentially the same as B&B plants except the fabric bag should be removed at planting. Many B&B plants are root pruned in the nursery so the root system will be more compact and fibrous. Even with the best nursery efforts, many (up to 95 percent) of the roots are lost in the digging process. The remaining small portion of the plants former root system can have difficulty absorbing enough water to meet the plants needs. When selecting a B&B plant, be sure the ball is sound and hasnt been broken. Avoid plants that feel loose in the soil ball. B&B material must be handled carefully. On most species if the soil ball is broken, many of the small roots will be severed from the trunk and the plant will die. Always pick the plant up by the soil ball --- never by the trunk or stem. Be sure the soil ball does not dry out or is exposed to hot summer or freezing winter temperatures for an extended period of time before planting. The planting procedure is essentially the same as for container-grown plants. The burlap should be left on the root ball unless it was made from a synthetic material or has been treated with a chemical preservative. To determine the difference between natural and synthetic material hold a match to a small portion of the burlap. Natural material will burn while synthetic will melt. Untreated natural burlap has a tan color and is biodegradable. The burlap on top of the root ball should be cut, rolled back, and covered with soil. If part of the burlap is exposed above the soil line it can act as a wick that will remove moisture from the root ball.

After positioning the plant in the hole, remove any straps, ties, strings, or wires secured around the root ball. Wire baskets are often used to reinforce the root ball during shipping. Experts disagree on possible harm that the wires might cause if left in the planting hole. It might be safer to cut and remove the top portion of the basket. Removing the entire wire basket can cause the root ball to be damaged. B&B plants usually need little pruning at planting but may need careful watering during the summer.

Anyway, let's ball and burlap dig a Pink Flowering Dogwood Tree.

Scrape any vegetation from around the tree. In the above photo it is difficult to see the actual tree because the tree is still dormant and without leaves. If you look closely you can see some grass and weeds around the base of the tree that we do not want inside of our root ball.

Scraping the top of the root ball clean.

A nice, neat root ball is important.

Determine the distance out from the tree. 11" of root ball per one inch of tree caliper, 6" above the soil. Turn the spade backwards to the tree with the handle tilted toward the tree, and start digging a shallow trench around the tree with the corner to the spade. This will mark the outline of the top of your ball. Don't cross this line.

Marking the outline of the root ball.

Now start digging the trench wider and deeper, but move away from the the line a little to give the ball a round shape. Don't dig straight down. What you are doing is actually carving the ball as a sculptor would do.

Our balled in burlap tree is starting to take shape.

It's important to dig away from your ball, and not to pry against the root ball with your spade. Notice I am still digging with the spade actually facing me.

Once you reach a depth of 50% of what your ball will be, you start carving under the ball as you go deeper.

At this point you go from digging straight down to working your way under the root ball.

Once you get about 75% of the way down, you can start forcing the spade under the ball at an angle, but be very careful not to disturb the ball. A sharp spade is essential, so the roots cut easily and smoothly. With a dull spade, or the wrong kind of spade you will beat the ball to death trying to cut the roots. Professional diggers file their spade several times a day.

You must force the spade into the ground firmly, but smoothly to keep from braking the root ball.

Once you have the ball completely loose, you can tip it and gently slide the burlap under the root ball, or if the root ball is firm enough you can lift it out and set it on the burlap.

Gently lift the tree out of the hole and place it on the burlap.

If the soil you are working in is sand and or gravel, you might have to slide the ball out of the hole on the spade. Also in these types of soils it helps if you firmly pack the soil around the tree before you start forming the ball. Clean the top of the ball as shown above, then firmly pack the soil with the heel of your work boot. You're not trying to dig a tree in tennis shoes are you?

Pull the opposite corners of the burlap together and tie them together as tightly as you can get them.

Using small nails, (they make special pinning nails that have a rounded head so you don't cut your fingers) start pulling the lose areas of the burlap, then using the nail for leverage, pull them tight and pin them down.

Just pull any loose flap up and as tight as you can get it, fold it over, stick a nail through the corner of the flap, then stick the point of the nail into the root ball just enough so it can't slip, then push the nail over, pulling the burlap tight as you push. Once the nail is pushed all the way over, push it into the burlap and the root ball, but at a very horizontal angle. Sticking a nail straight into the ball will not work at all. It will pull right out. You have to insert the nail almost horizontal, after you use the nail to pull the burlap as tight as possible. This action gives you a considerable amount of leverage, and with just six to ten nails you can tightly pin up a balled in burlap tree.