11/02/2026
Should you remove the burlap before planting a tree?
Not necessarily, and here’s why.
Ball-and-burlapped trees are grown in the field and dug with a large ball of soil surrounding their roots.
That soil is incredibly important. If you completely unwrap the tree before it’s positioned, the root ball can fall apart and damage the roots.
In this video, we’re sacrificing an already-dead tree to show you exactly what happens when that root ball falls apart.
Natural burlap is biodegradable, and roots can grow through it.
The goal is to keep the root ball intact while properly preparing the tree for planting.
Save this before planting your next tree!