Fall and early winter are a great time to plant most deciduous landscape trees.

This includes those trees that lose their leaves in the winter months.

Because of the risk of winter injury in most years, it is better to wait until spring for planting evergreen trees and shrubs.

Here are a three of the most commonly overlooked practices to consider that will help you avoid mistakes in planting your deciduous trees this fall.

Dig the planting hole to make it the appropriate size and depth. The planting hole should be two to three times as wide as the roots. This allows the roots to get established without having to break through hard soil.

Digging to a proper width for the planting hole is especially important for heavy or compacted soils.

After digging the planting hole, make sure water will drain adequately. Pour water into the planting hole. It should drain at a rate of one to three inches per hour. If it does not drain within 24 hours, it should be filled and another planting spot chosen.

The depth of the planting hole should be deep enough to plant to the existing soil line on the tree or shrub. The root flare should be visible at or just above the soil surface after the tree is planted.

Be cautious, and do not plant too deep. If the hole was dug too deep, fill it in a little to bring the tree or shrub up to the proper depth.

Do not add anything to the soil that should not be there.

Do not amend the soil.

Fertilizer or other soil amendments should not be added to the planting hole.

The only soil that goes back into the hole should be that which came out of it.

Also make sure any bur-lapped material, wire or other packaging around the roots have been completely removed before planting. Leaving this material around the roots could lead to a slow death as the roots grow five to 10 years after it is planted.

Stake trees properly. The objective to staking a tree is to keep them from developing a lean, not to eliminate movement.

Research shows it is good for trees to move and sway in the wind. This encourages root development, increases the trunk diameter and keeps the tree from becoming too tall, too fast.

Stake trees by driving three equally-spaced stakes vertically into firm soil outside the planting hole.

The stakes should be two-thirds the height of the tree, and the ties between the stakes and the tree should be placed horizontally.

The ties should be a broad cloth-like material that has some elasticity. Nylon stockings work well for this purpose. Never use string, rope or wire even if it is run through a piece of water hose. It will still damage the trunk of the tree.

These are just a few tips for planting deciduous trees or shrubs in the fall.

If you would like to discuss planting deciduous trees in the fall in greater detail, contact me at the Clark County Cooperative Extension Service by calling 859-744-4682.

David Davis is a Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service agent for agriculture and natural resources in Clark County.