Updated March 2024
We plant trees every day, and every time we leave the twine, burlap, and wire basket on the root ball. We trim the twine and burlap so it’s not emerging above ground and when wrapped around the trunk and to also reduce the risk of girdling the tree trunk. What is girdling? This is basically strangulation of the tree. It is also known as ring-barking If the twine is left to wrap around the tree, it will continue to grow, but it will eventually kill the tree as it restricts nutrients and water from circulating up the tree to the branches and foliage.
As for the rest of the materials, we leave them on! “But won’t this effect my trees?” We get this question a lot. And the answer is no! The burlap and twine on the root ball are made of natural fibers which will degrade over time. Burlap is also a woven fabric with openings. This allows for the roots to go between the fibers.
As for the wire basket, it’s long last, but over time will eventually degrade. Most are wire baskets are made of iron, which eventually rusts and degrades. The iron leeching into the soil from the rust is actually extremely beneficial to the soil as well as the plant. Additionally, roots, no matter small they might be at first, are very smart and continuously get stronger. If roots hit a road block, they simply work their way around it. The wire presents no threat to the health and growth of the plant. Per the University of Missouri Extension, “Many large-balled and burlapped trees are sold with wire baskets securing their root balls. There is debate about whether the wire should be removed at planting. Based on the limited research available, most tree-care professionals recommend removing the top ring of wire. This wire can be removed after the root ball is placed in the planting hole. Because most of the roots of a tree are found within a foot of the soil surface, they tend to grow over the wire. Attempting to remove the entire basket may destroy the root ball.“
Taking off the twine, wire and burlap actually poses a larger threat to the plant. The burlap holds the root ball together. The twine is sometimes secured around the whole root ball or keeping the burlap attached to the base of the trunk. The twine secures the burlap. The wire basket is usually used on larger trees. This further secures the root ball being kept together and also helps make it easier to plant. Once the plant is the the ground, then you can cut the twine around the base of the trunk and pull back some of the burlap on the top of the root ball.
Check our out planting guide for instructions with a diagram! Tree Planting Guide
