Tree planting advice.

[Kyfan]

I have three autumn blaze maple trees approx 5.5' tall that I am going to plant on my property. I have the following questions

1. Should I stake them or let them grow on their own?

2. I bought garden soil to put in the hole with then is this ok?

3. Any other advice on how to get these babies started and thriving will be greatly appreciated.

 

[ammoaddict]

Staking should help them grow straight. Garden soil is good, Black cow is good. Water, water water.

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[Jed1124]

After pulling them out of the pots, run a sharp box cutter type knife a couple of times horizontally down the root balls to break the circling of the roots.
Remove the soil from the top of the pots until you get down to a very pronounced root flare. That flare should be above the soil level, and not buried by soil or mulch. Don’t be afraid to loose some of the fine roots if they are above that flare.
Make the hole at least twice the width of the pots, so there is room for the roots to expand.
Autumn Blaze are very prone to girdling roots, proper planting depth, hole size, and root ball preparation are critical for them to thrive for years to come.

 

[Jed1124]

https://www.treesaregood.org/portals/0/docs/treecare/New_TreePlanting.pdf

 

[old CB]

Staking has been discouraged for a good while now, as it just trains the tree to depend on the support you've provided. Those saplings may whip a bit in a strong wind, but if they're planted correctly they'll do just fine without help. Jed has given you the basics above--follow that and you'll be fine.

Water, water, water, but don't over-water. One good soaking per week, maybe a second drink in driest times. Too much is almost as harmful as not enough.

 

[ATH]

cutting slices isn't enough if there are encircling roots. If there are, you need to shave off the outter inch or so. Ed Gilman has researched and documented very well:
https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/remove-side.shtml
But @Jed1124 is absolutely right about finding that flare and making sure it is at ground level.

I don't amend the planting hole. If the soil you aren't planting it in isn't good enough for the tree, then you need to find another tree. Its roots need adequate soil in a space far more than 2x the diameter of that container.