Sure you could plant it with a shoehorn, many landscapers do, but do you really want to if you have clay or sandy soil? Twice the diameter and twice the depth and mix manure in with the existing soil and tamp down the bottom and measure with your shovel the depth of the ball so it sits on ground level. Backfill and tamp the soil down with the end of your shovel to remove air pockets. And water and add some bonemeal to promote root growth. But I am from the old school however plants never die on me unless a drought.

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials

I think it depends, as with most things.... I have no scientific evidence for this opinion, merely intuition, and a reluctance - however sympathetic, since it's YOUR hole to be dug - to dig a bigger hole than I had to. What's your soil, sand-y or clay-y? If sand-y, then I might dig it not much bigger than the root ball. If light, sandy-clay, then a bit bigger, but if it is heavy clay, and it's not so moist as to clump, then I would dig the bigger hole, making the sides of the hole pretty rough, and make sure the soil has all clods well broken up as you backfill, since it will be easier for the roots to grow out into slightly loosened clay - it will pack down with time and water, but still be looser than un-dug clay - and start to establish themselves.

If you mulch well, then the roots can certainly keep growing out. And mulching well will be good in all cases, out as far as possible, no deeper than 4", and no mulch in the couple of inches next to the trunk. I know that mulching well has done wonders for my heavy clay; even without digging an extremely wide hole, the soil is loose(r) beyond the planting area after a few months, as evidenced by weed pulling ease.

No, a hole the same size will make the tree struggle and will establish very slow and can even cause decline and possible death (especially a dogwood planted in dry hard soil). Larger the hole the better, 4 to 10 feet wide is very good. A easy way to do this instead of digging is to till the area with a tiller 1 to 2 feet deep and 4 to 10 wide (keep the depth the same as the root ball depth). Then all you have to do is dig a small hole in the middle to plant the tree (make sure the top roots are even with the soil line, because if a tree is planted too deep it can lead to decline)Then water well to settle the soil down in place. Finally mulch the tilled area with 2 to 4 inches (no deeper) of mulch such as wood chips or composted or well shredded leaves (keep the mulch off the trunk to prevent bark rot). Keep the tree watered well for the first 2 to 3 years over the whole tilled area, so roots growing outwards will have water (deep slow watering when there is no rain is best).

Oh yeah, it's important you stretch out or cut any circling/root bound roots which is called girdling roots. These can choke a tree to death over the years and is bad for a tree. See the link below on this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Girdling Roots and mulching

All experts and studies I am familiar with contradict bullthistle's advice.

Digging the original hole twice as deep will likely cause the rootball to settle below grade. Unless you pack the soil down as much as it was before (making digging the hole deeper useless), the rootball will settle. If you happen to pack the soil down even more, you will inhibit root growth in this part of the soil. Trees planted too deeply (or sinking too deeply after being planted) is one of the top killers of planted trees!

Adding manure is highly unlikely to help the tree in the long run. Most all studies have shown that, in most cases, amending the soil is not necessary and can be detrimental.

Here is a link to one of the best sources of information about trees. This site represents some of the foremost experts in the field.

Here is a link that might be useful: International Society of Arboriculture's Planting Advice

Brandon's information is supported by scientific studies and is the accepted method - dig the hole at least 2-3 times the width of the rootball but no deeper, making sure the sides are sloped outward and roughened up. Loosen the rootball to straighten any circling roots. Bare rooting or removing the rootball soil before planting is optional but also recommended for best results and to eliminate soil interface issues. Backfill only with the soil removed from the planting hole. Water to settle in and remove air pockets and continue to fill up to the top of the rootball, which should even with the existing soil level or slightly above. Use any desired amendments as topdressing or mulch, not incorporated into the backfill. Water deeply as necessary and weather dictates throughout the first two growing seasons.

Experts are just that depending upon who will listen. Lots of experts in relationship to the stock market but I do the things that I was taught and praticed for many years and never lost a plant except for lack of water. When roots expand in newly planted soil they should have optimum soil conditions and not the worst because in theory dictates that's how they grower tended to them not by skimping or shortcuts because roots grow vertically as well as horizontally.

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials

hey

the more you learn.. the less you know ...

you dont mention where you are.. or your zone.. or your soil type ... might help in the info you receive ......

in my pure yellow sand ... i am of the opinion ...that the hole doesnt need to be all that big ... in spring.. i can stick my hand 6 inches into the soil ... so what use would be all that extra digging ... so i do no more than double ... you need that much for proper movement ... and i NEVER amend ....

clay is the opposite.. and i would move .. lol .. in fact that was the number one priority when i bought this house... but there are other experts if you have clay ....

dig new hole first ...unpot... snip or uncoil roots that circle .. get it in the hole.. refill half way .. fill hole with water... in sand or loam ... refill soil 3/4 ... tamp settle the soil in there ... little more water ... complete the refilling.. tamping with foot... mulch.. and water again when your finger says it needs water ... and no sooner ...

with proper watering after planting.. i am nearly of the opinion that it doesnt matter how you plant it [again.. but for clay] ... just do it.. and water it properly for two years ... trees are very forgiving if they have the water they need ...

ken

Bullthistle, these techniques have been STUDIED through SCIENTFIC TRIAL by MANY, VERY WELL EDUCATED people over a LONG PERIOD OF TIME. They didn't just think this up off the top of their head and go out to see how many people would listen to them!

There are people that still think the world is flat, but the experts say that it's round. Are you suggesting that the people that say the Earth is round are the experts only because more people listen to them?

There may be different ways of doing things, but often certain techniques are proven better. Once the techniques have been properly studied, conclusions about the best way to do things are developed. New ideas may later be developed to improve the process, but simply ignoring what has been learned so far does not make sense.

I'm not suggesting that the way you plant trees doesn't work, but I am saying that the large majority of people that know what they are talking about suggest that there is a better way. I'm not saying that you should necessarily abandon the way you choose to accomplish the task, but I do think it is important to present the conclusions drawn by the experts.

We know a great deal more about how plants work than ever before, and new discoveries are made each and every day. I would think that anyone truly interested in plant culture would take every opportunity to apply new science to what they already know. Now, THAT'S a force to be reckoned with!

It's a wonderful thing....to learn something new every single day.