Collection: Plant Establishment & Tree Planting

The first two seasons after planting decide whether a maple, foundation shrub, or perennial bed roots in or struggles for years. New England's heavy clay, late spring frosts, and August dry stretches mean you can't just dig a hole and drop the rootball in. The Ottr planting kit — backfill, compost amendment, and a finishing mulch ring — gives the new plant a buffered root zone that holds moisture and breathes.

Backfill mixes for the planting hole:

• Topsoil Loam ½" Screened — the standard backfill. Mix 70/30 with the native soil dug out of the hole.
• Super Loam — richer organic content. Use straight in poor sub-grades; otherwise blend with native soil at 50/50.
• Garden Soil Mix and Horticultural Soil Mix — pre-blended with compost. Drop-in solution for perennial beds and small foundation shrub installs.
• Compost — amend the planting hole at 25% of the backfill volume. Top-dress 1–2" around the dripline once per spring.

Mulch ring — finish every install with a 3" deep, 3' wide mulch ring around the trunk (donut shape, not volcano):

• Pine Bark Mulch — standard New England look, slightly acidic as it breaks down. Pairs with hydrangea, rhododendron, blueberry.
• Hemlock Mulch — reddish tone, holds color longer. Premium look for front-yard tree installs.
• Red Cedar Mulch — most decay-resistant of the three. Best for installs you don't want to refresh annually.

Sizing rule of thumb: a 2" caliper tree (typical homeowner planting size) needs ~1.5 cubic feet of backfill mix. A 30-tree foundation hedgerow runs about 1.5 cubic yards of backfill plus 1 yard of mulch.

Same-day or next-day dump-truck delivery across Massachusetts and Rhode Island for orders over 3 yards. Pickup welcome at our Brockton yard for single-tree home projects.