How to Plant Ornamental Trees Like a Pro: Redbud, Maple, and Cherry Tree Tips for a Thriving Landscape

If you’re dreaming of a yard that bursts into color each season while staying rooted in practical, permaculture-inspired beauty — ornamental trees like redbuds, maples, and cherries are the perfect starting point. These trees not only bring seasonal interest and structure to your landscape, but when planted intentionally, they can support the overall health of your homestead ecosystem.

Here’s how I plant ornamental trees the holistic way — with tips that blend horticultural best practices, permaculture layers, and a bit of homestead magic.

🌳 Choose the Right Tree for the Right Place (and Face)

The first step in planting is site selection. Think beyond just where it “looks pretty” and consider:

• Sunlight exposure — Most ornamental trees need full sun or light shade.

• Wind protection — Young trees, especially cherries, benefit from shelter.

• Face direction — I love planting redbuds and cherries where their blooms can greet the morning sun; it helps with early spring frost resistance and ensures even flowering.

🕳️ Dig Wide, Not Deep

This is one of my golden rules:
Dig a hole twice as wide but just as deep as the root ball.
This allows the roots to easily expand without getting smothered or sitting too deep in compacted soil. Compacting the base of the hole before planting also helps prevent post-planting settling.

🌿 Create a 3-Foot Grass-Free Zone

Grass competes aggressively for nutrients and water — especially when trees are young.
I always clear a 3-foot radius around the planting area and keep it grass-free with mulch and companion plants.

♻️ Backfill with Compost, Not Chemicals

Skip the synthetic fertilizers.
Backfill with a blend of native soil and finished compost, which enriches the soil naturally and supports long-term root development.

🌱 Plant a Living Understory: Why I Use Thyme

Here’s my favorite trick — and what sets a holistic tree planting apart:

I plant low-growing, multi-purpose understory herbs like thyme around the base of each tree. Why thyme?

• It’s naturally fertilizing, improving soil microbiology.

• It’s medicinal and a culinary delight (hello, tea or roasted veggies).

• It creates a soft living mulch that suppresses weeds and retains moisture.

Bonus: The pollinators love it when it blooms!

🍂 Mulch Mindfully

Mulch is non-negotiable. It regulates soil temperature, retains moisture, and breaks down to feed the soil over time.
Apply 2–4 inches of mulch, keeping it a few inches away from the tree trunk to avoid rot.

💧 Water Deeply and Regularly

Water is the most overlooked part of successful planting.
For the first year, I water deeply 1–2 times a week depending on rainfall. A slow, deep soak encourages the roots to grow down instead of staying near the surface.

Pro tip: Avoid daily light watering. It creates weak, shallow roots and leaves trees vulnerable in droughts.

Final Thoughts

Planting ornamental trees like redbud, maple, and cherry can be both beautiful and deeply functional when done with intention. From choosing the right location to planting living mulch like thyme, this layered approach nurtures not just your tree, but the whole ecosystem around it.

Let your landscape be both ornamental and edible, showy and sustainable — the way nature intended.