Arbor Hill Tree Farm Installation Methods

Arbor Hill Tree Farm sells trees in 4 forms:

Bare root shade trees, typically up to about 1 in. diameter, 10 ft tall. Available in early spring and sold on a special order basis. Must be ordered months in advance. Call for details.

Potted evergreens & shade trees, typically up to 3 ft. tall evergreens or 1 in. diameter shade trees. Readily available throughout spring, summer & fall.

Balled & Burlapped evergreen & shade trees, typically up to 12 ft. tall evergreens or 4 in. diameter shade trees, approx. 18 ft. tall. Are dug in the early spring or fall when they are dormant. Customers can hand pick trees from our fields during early spring or fall or pick from our preselected trees during the entire growing season, May-October.

Tree Spaded evergreen & shade trees, typically 13-20 ft. tall evergreens or 4-8 in. diameter shade trees. Timing of this type of tree installation varies depending on species of tree selected. Call for details.

Installation Methods:

The installation methods of trees in general depends upon the size of the trees that are purchased.

Bare root & potted trees are smaller, weigh less & are easier to plant . When we get to Balled & Burlapped trees, the size & weight of the tree & root ball can range from 300-1200 pounds or more, so we highly recommend relying on us to install this form of tree.

Tree Spaded trees are the largest form of tree we sell & are installed with a very large truck, typically a 65 or 90 in. diameter root ball. This tree spade truck is comparable in size to a concrete truck, so there are usually site limitations to this type of installation.


Loading Trees From Our Field

Truck, Equipment Loaded For Delivery And Transport To Site

Site Prepared For Planting Trees

Augering Holes With ASV

Setting Shade Tree In Hole


Completed Project

Balled & Burlapped Tree Installation:

Installation of Balled & Burlapped evergreen and shade trees can be a heavy & involved process. How well the tree survives the transplant & thrives in the future depends on properly transporting & planting the tree.

This installation process begins with identifying any utility lines, sprinkler systems or anything else that may be buried in the ground where the trees are to be planted. Arbor Hill will provide the customer with white flags to mark the desired tree locations.

We use a turf friendly machine called an ASV for installing Balled & Burlapped trees.

This machine is used for digging holes & transporting the trees to the holes, as well as removing any excess dirt. This machine is 5ft. wide, so we are able to access tighter spots, such as backyards.

When fenced yards are encountered, we recommend the customer have a section of fence removed. If that is not possible , we can use an alternate method of installation, but because it is more labor intense, you may incur an additional fee.

Complete Installation of Balled & Burlapped trees includes , delivery of the tree to the site, digging holes required, setting tree in hole, backfilling dirt around root ball, removing excess dirt, initial watering of tree , mulching root ball , site clean-up & 1 year warranty.

We also provide a PARTIAL INSTALLATION option . This gives the customer a chance to get somewhat involved with installation process and save 30% off of the complete installation fee. For the partial installation option Arbor Hill Tree Farm will deliver the trees to the site, auger holes, set trees in holes, backfilling enough dirt to stabilize tree.

Customer would be responsible for finishing backfilling dirt around root ball, removing excess dirt, watering & mulching tree. We will instruct customer exactly how to complete process. Trees are all guaranteed for 1 year for either partial or complete installation.

Tree Spade Installation:
The Tree Spade method of installing trees is used for very large trees. We can generally transplant up to 20 ft. tall evergreens or 8 in. dia. shade trees. For trees to survive a transplant, the root ball of any tree must be sized according to how big the tree is. Therefore we have to use an extremely large truck to be able to move such a large & heavy root ball.

The size of this tree spade truck is comparable to a concrete truck. Since this truck is so large & heavy, there is limitations to where it can go on any site. Generally a front yard , close to a street or back yard with a nice size alley can allow a tree installation with a tree spade. But every site is different, so if you are wanting to go with a large tree that requires a tree spade, we can come out and look at the site to see if it is possible.


Bare Yard Before Trees

Spruce Trees In Place After Installation

Tying Spruce Tree For Protection During Transplant

20 ft. Tall Spruce Tree Ready For Setting In Yard

Digging Spruce Tree With 90 Inch Tree Spade

Transporting Multiple Trees At 1 Time

Spruce Tree Being Installed In Yard

Plywood Used For Protecting Yard

Bare root & Potted Tree Installation:

Installation of bare root & potted trees can be a relatively inexpensive & easy process , depending on the number of trees to be planted.

Customers wishing to start with smaller trees or want to plant the trees themselves, can simply rely on a shovel and a strong will and back to accomplish this type of planting. Arbor Hill can also assist by delivering trees to the site, augering holes, or doing the complete installation.


Bare Root Shade Tree

Potted Evergreen Tree
Please call us at 651-459-5026 to discuss your specific needs.