Let me get this correct, you had dug a hole 4 ft deep? ... that's a lot of digging! You've effectively created a little swimming pool there and I would not plant that tree up until the weather has become drier and the soil settles and firms up nicely. As it is now, the disturbed soil is full of air pockets and will be a sponge for water to infiltrate. Despite the clay type soil, is the site otherwise well drained, I mean it's not in a low spot?

I can't say with a ton of certainty that its well drained I've not seen any flooding or standing water in the area. Im not sure what you mean by low spot, the ground isnt slopping or anything to that degree. We moved in middle of the fall and the rains were setting in, i feel as though it hasn't stopped. I didn't even think about the air pocketing problem and its meant to rain for another 3 or so days straight now. Do i remove it, or pray to the tree gods?

The pot size was probably 25 it was an 8 foot tree i picked up. I did go a little crazy with the digging, i got too excited! I mixed in some horse manure so i did build it back up a bit. Your correct in saying its mounded though, probably some where around 4-6 inches i didnt want to stamp it back in to much i was worried since i have clay soil about it being bricks. At least that's what i was told. I mulched around it. I think theres a good chance it may settle down a bit?

A 4ft deep hole in clay ? I would be at the chiropractor, not posting on Houzz. I would build a small raised bed from logs or be planting on a mound given your description of the soil ... definitely would not submerge the entire root system below grade. Trees need good drainage. The key questions at this point have been asked ... how big is the tree and how big was the container ?

25 ( gallon?) and 8-foot tree, from above. Well, that is enough tree to justify a lot of digging. I think you will be fine and as long as the tree is riding atop the mounded area and the base of the trunk is not sunken down more than a couple of inches from the immediate surrounding soil, the whole planting will settle into place in a couple of months.

As for the manure, I hope it was aged and not fresh, and was no more than 1/4 of the volume of the soil dug. Most recommendations are to not amend the soil but rather to top dress with manure, compost, etc.

Soil that is wet to the point of being gooey should not be worked until it is more crumbly. Air pockets would be proportional to the size of unbroken clods that were put back into the hole. If you broke up all your clods to walnut or smaller size, air pockets will be minimal.

It was aged manure, i did keep the ratio just the right amount and aged top dress. Thank you all for the advice maybe my saving grace will be that it hasn't broken dormancy just yet. The lesson here is to wait and not get a head of my self. Ill watch Jefferson closely and as the weather dries out ill do a test hole next to it to make sure the ground is drying out. If not ill have to move it. The tree is 4-6 inches above the hole probably more on the 6 inches, mulched and dirt mounded around base. The dirt was broken up as best as possible, was sludgy crumbly so as good as that can be. Thanks again, im holding out hope.

Although it wasn't a perfect planting or ideal time, reading your posts are helpful. Learn things every day. Thanks again!!