Tree Planting Directions

The following link is excellent and will be helpful for anyone to read and follow before preparing a hole to plant a tree.

Also, the directions suggest opening up the burlap around the ball of the tree but it does not mention the basket.

Please consider the following:

Our trees are surrounded by a metal basket around the burlap. After you have the tree (still in the burlap and the basket) in the hole, and you are ready to put the soil on top to finish the job, use a good pair of wire cutters and remove two horizontal rounds of the basket, undo the twine around the trunk and open the burlap to let it stay loosely sitting around the ball of the tree. (No need to completely remove it).

http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-a-Tree