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Proper planting detail
Dig the hole wider in compacted soil. If you form a berm of mulch (preferred) or soil (less preferred) around the root ball to hold irrigation, keep it less than about 4 inches high. Water held in a taller berm wastes water because it simply runs through the root ball. It might be more appropriate to make the berm from mulch since the berm typically ends up on top of the root ball eventually. Placing soil over the root ball cuts off oxygen and water.
When planting on slopes set the tree so the top-most root in the ball on the uphill side is about even with the soil. The side of the root ball on the downhill side will be well above the surrounding soil. Bring in enough soil to cover the sides of the root ball with soil. Apply mulch to finish the planting job as shown in the diagram above.
See: root growth following planting using this specification.
