Food ForestsNurseries & PropogationTrees

How to Plant a Tree

Tree Management Course with Miles Durand, Jordan Valley.

  1. Locate a healthy specimen and an appropriate planting site with a suitable pH.

  1. Soak a fair amount of cardboard in a water/compost/soil solution, or if unavailable, water only.
  2. Dig a hole twice to three times as large as the root base of the tree.
  3. Fill the hole with water and allow to soak in. Also, saturate the plant in its existing casing.
  4. Line the hole with presoaked cardboard.

  1. Add compost to said hole so it is filled in to the exact depth required.
  2. Remove the tree from its old casing. Some wandering roots may need to be snipped. In a healthy tree, the size of that under the ground ought to reflect what is above it.

  1. Measure the depth of the hole. Once transplanted, the soil level of the tree’s new home should be the same level as it was in its old home.


If planted too high it will dry out. Too low and it can cause bacterial attack (collar rot).

  1. Gently lower the tree in, then carefully fill the empty cavities with compost and some sand or native soil, where appropriate.
  2. Support the tree with two poles on either side, and tie them. These should be taller than the tree.

  1. Place the remaining cardboard on top, keeping it away from the tree trunk.


Fruit trees appreciate cardboard while support trees many not require much, if any.

  1. Cover with a thick layer of mulch.
  2. Prune the tree to promote denser growth and to avoid excess moisture loss after transplanting.
  3. Water and pray.

  1. Water 2-3 times per day for the first 10 days.

4 Comments

  1. Hi Khadija – thanks as always for your updates from Jordan which I greatly anticipate. I know in Geoff’s online PDC he stated that several hundred trees have been planted using wet cardboard in the holes. I believe he indicated that this was done to help foster fungal nets in the soil – because desert soils don’t have a lot of naturally occurring organic matter in them. How are the trees that were already planted, faring? Do you have some pictures you can post at some time?

    Wishing you the very best! Jen

    1. I agree with you Koen, I think it would be a good meet between groasis.com and his waterbox and the permaculture’s world. The waterbox collects condensed water on the top and give it to the grown to grow trees and also vegetables. We can also pray for this meeting between swales waterbox and dry land

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