Should I Mulch?

Short answer: probably, yes. It will help with moisture retention and will cut down on the number of weeds a little bit.

Once your plants are established, however, it is up to you whether you continue to mulch. Just keep in mind that the mulch itself should not be more than 3 inches (~8cm) deep, and should be thinner the closer you get to the base of a plant (particularly woody plants).

Stakes Are Your Friend

Stakes are often ignored, but they are absolutely crucial if you are planting larger trees.

Please note that staking has nothing to do with straightening a tree’s trunk. Newly planted trees are going to move and grow with the sun regardless of what you do with the stakes. Instead, stakes keep a tree upright and secure while it spends its energy re-establishing all the roots that were cut off so that it could be transported to you. The more roots that are cut off (IOW, the larger the tree), the longer it will take for the tree to re-establish and support itself.

The main thing to do is to place one stake on the east and west side of each tree. This has to do with prevailing winds and their direction, so please check your local weather network to determine which sides of the trees you should stake.

After they are installed, inspect the stakes at least once a year for tightness when the trees start waking up in the spring. Inspecting again in the fall is a good idea too if you can.