Soil ring – Tree planting

Q: My wife and I watched your TV show where you discussed the soil ring you make after planting a tree. You said that it should not be left longer than the first year. Why not?

A: Tree experts say that the ring should be removed so that water is not concentrated around the tree base for more than a few months. Smoothing out the soil ring encourages the roots to spread out and find their water in the surrounding earth.