Q: I am going to be planting several trees for Arbor Day. They are not too big. Their trunks will be about 2 inches thick and about 4 feet tall. Some will be in large plastic pots, and I think the roots of some others will be wrapped in burlap. The area that I'll plant the trees is wet in the spring, but dries up in the summer. I have been told that I should plant the trees high, with a third to a half of the root ball above the ground. That sounds odd to me, but I was told this would help them survive the wet soil. I can use the extra soil from the hole to put around the roots, and then cover it all in mulch. Have you heard of this method? Is it okay to plant trees like this?

A: I have heard of planting trees high, but not that high. It is a well-intentioned idea, but it is a really bad way to plant a tree. Don't do it.

The first thing to consider is, are these really the right trees for this location? If they can't survive wet spring soil unless they are planted high, then you should choose a different tree species that can survive in wet soil.

Think about what you want the tree roots to do: Do you want them to stay alive in the soil piled high around the root ball, or do you want them to grow across your landscape? Tree roots grow way past the length of the branches — sometimes three to five times farther. If the tree roots can't survive once they grow out into the wet soil, the tree will slowly die.

Pretend you installed a whole pile of good soil in a nice berm for the roots to grow. Would that be enough soil for these trees' roots to thrive? Or would that only be enough for them to survive? How big of a berm would it take to provide these trees with enough soil to thrive? Wouldn't it be easier to just plant trees that can thrive in the existing soil?

It is always best to plant trees so that the top of the root ball or container aligns with the landscape's soil level. If planted too high, the root ball will dry out faster. If the tree is planted too far below, the roots may suffocate from not getting enough air in the soil — especially if there is a lot of mulch piled on top.

Trees that have been planted with the root ball a few inches above the soil level often have roots that grow out into the landscape very near the soil surface. Tree roots increase in diameter as they get older. So, these roots would start breaking through the grass and could be hit by lawn mowers. Each time roots are wounded, there is a chance that they can get a soil-borne fungal disease that can kill the tree.

I have rarely seen soil piled in a pot or on top of a root ball in an effort to hold the tree steady. Make sure you are not fooled. Find the spot where the tree trunk and roots meet, and plant the root ball there to be level with the surrounding soil.

The hole doesn't have to be much wider than the root ball. And don't fill the hole back up with a bunch of new soil; the soil you put back in the hole should be the soil you dug out. Doing that is kind of like planting a tree in a flowerpot buried in the soil. If the tree roots can't survive in the surrounding soil, then filling the hole with new soil won't help either.

Don't add too much fertilizer when planting a tree. Otherwise, you are more likely to damage the roots than help the tree. Only use slow-release fertilizer.

Also, before you plant, remove all of the grass about 1 to 2 feet wider than the hole. Add 2 to 4 inches of mulch on top of the root ball, as well as a foot or two farther out from the hole. Tree roots that don't have to compete with grass roots grow much better, making the tree more likely to live. Lastly, never pile any mulch over the tree trunk.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.