Tree & shrub planting
Selected and planted for Utah's zone and soil, not just what looked good at the store.
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What's included
The Salt Lake Valley sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b–7a, and our native soil is dense, alkaline clay — two things that rule out a lot of trees and shrubs that look great on a nursery shelf but struggle here within a few years.
The other half of the problem is almost always planting depth, not species choice. Trees planted too deep — with the root flare buried instead of visible at the soil surface — are one of the most common causes of slow decline and early death we see, often years after the fact when the cause isn't obvious anymore.
We select species matched to your yard's actual sun, soil, and space, amend the planting hole instead of backfilling with straight native clay, set the root flare visible at grade, and mulch in a flat ring rather than piling mulch against the trunk.
How it works
Step by step, here's what actually happens on site:
- 1Assess sun exposure, soil, and available root space on site
- 2Select species matched to zone 6b–7a and our clay/alkaline soil
- 3Amend the planting hole rather than backfilling with straight native clay
- 4Set the plant at the correct depth with the root flare visible at grade
- 5Mulch in a flat ring around the plant, kept off the trunk
- 6Set an establishment watering schedule for the first season
Why Ironwood
We select species for what actually survives our clay soil and zone, not just what's available and attractive at a nursery.
Planting depth gets checked on every install — root flare visible, no volcano mulching — since that single detail is behind more failed trees than species choice ever is.
Planting is coordinated with your grading and irrigation plan so new trees and shrubs get correctly zoned water instead of sharing a schedule with turf.
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Tree & shrub planting FAQ
What trees and shrubs actually do well in the Salt Lake Valley?
It depends on your specific site (sun, soil, space), but we'll recommend species proven for zone 6b–7a and our clay/alkaline soil during a walkthrough rather than a generic list.
When's the best time of year to plant?
Spring or fall, avoiding the stress of summer heat on new roots.
Do you amend the clay soil, or just plant into it?
We amend the planting hole — backfilling straight into native clay is a common cause of poor root establishment and standing water around the root ball.
How often does a new tree or shrub need watering while it establishes?
More frequently and more deeply than an established plant, tapering off over the first one to two growing seasons — we'll give you a specific schedule for what we plant.