Family owned and run for over 30 years
Passionate about plants and gardening
Dog friendlyPlanting trees or large shrubs
The palette has been changing from bright green to shades of red, gold and brown, with cooler mornings and the sun still shining.
Between October and April is the ideal time of year for moving and planting trees, shrubs, climbers and hedging, but avoid planting in waterlogged or frozen soil.
Right now the ground is still nice and warm, giving plenty of time for the new roots to grow with less pressure from the tops of the plants, as well as less watering due to the cooler temperatures and more frequent rain.
Planting Guide
Prepare the site you are planting by improving the soil structure, digging in organic matter and loosening the soil to a depth equivalent to the height of the rootball and a width up to three times the diameter. If you are on heavy clay, adding a lot of grit is recommended too!
Dig a hole big enough for your plants rootball to fit in and sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi over the roots so that it is in direct contact, now place the plant in the hole making sure that the top layer of compost/roots is level with the soil surface. Refill the hole carefully replacing the soil between and around the roots and gently firm the soil avoiding compacting it.
Give your plant a good drink of water even if it is raining at the time, especially if it is evergreen!
Finally, apply a generous mulch of organic matter such as well-rotted manure, bark chips or homemade compost as this helps seal in moisture, make sure to never heap directly at the base of the stem as plants don't like that.
Top Tips
If you are planting bare-root plants, soak them for 30 minutes before planting and potted plants need watering before being taken out of the pot.
Protect your plants from damage caused by hungry deer and rabbits with tree spirals or chicken wire.
Stake top-heavy or larger specimens for a few years to avoid the wind rocking and moving its roots. Position the tree stake at a 45-degree angle to the main stem, where the top end faces the wind. Hammer into the soil aiming to bury up to 40cm of the stake and attach it to the tree using a rubber tree tie in a figure-of-eight pattern.
Mycorrhizal fungi
This fungi naturally increases nutrient and water uptake by attaching itself to the roots forming a secondary root system which helps increase tolerance to drought and adverse soil conditions. It is a natural and plant-friendly fungus suitable for flowering plants, trees, shrubs and edibles.
One application will benefit the plant for a lifetime as it will multiply in the soil so there is no need to reapply, building up the active biology in the soil to create better overall growing conditions.
We look forward to seeing you gardening,
Matthew, Charlotte and all the Team
