How to Plant a Small Root Ball Oak Tree
- 1). Dig a hole. Though the root ball will be small, you still want to make the receiving hole deep and wide. Try to make the hole at least twice as wide as the root ball and one and a half times deep.
- 2). Handle the tree's roots with extra care when you remove the tree from the nursery pot. Place your hand around the base of the tree and lift it from the pot slowly. Place your other hand under the soil that surrounds the root ball. Do not let the small root ball hang limp from the stem of the sapling at any time.
- 3). Set the oak tree sapling into the hole. Use caution when you set the root ball down. Rearrange the roots carefully so that the roots do not bend or strain themselves when you set the tree into place.
- 4). Fill in the hole with fresh soil. A small root ball means the tree may be a little top heavy, so pack in the soil around the base of the tree. Pack the soil until the tree stands as straight as possible.
- 5). Water your oak tree with a slow, steady stream of water. Let the water go until it has completely saturated the root ball.
- 6). Drive a stake into the soil next to your oak tree sapling. Use strips of material to anchor your tree in an upright position to the stake. When the wind blows with extreme force, your tree's small root ball may not give it the security it needs to remain upright, so the stake will help keep your tree straight until it matures and becomes more secure in its soil.
Source...