In this segment we walk through how to plant a tree so it actually establishes in coastal North Carolina soil: digging wide rather than deep, setting the root flare at or slightly above grade, why over-amending the backfill in sandy soil works against you, and how to handle circling roots on container-grown stock.
For the timing side of the question, which month to plant what across zones 8a and 8b, see our month by month guide to when to plant trees and shrubs in North Carolina, or the fall planting guide for coastal North Carolina.