HOW TO PLANT TREES AND SHRUBS

This article sets out step by step how to plant for best results and assumes that you have already selected plants suitable for your purpose, climate, soil and position.  If you need guidance in selection of plants, please refer to our other relevant articles or ask at your local ican retailer.

Where to plant

Refer to information for the particular plants you have selected and check the label.

When to plant

Most plants are supplied growing in pots with their own soil. This enables them to be planted at any time of the year. If you can’t plant them immediately, plants can be held for 2-3 weeks before planting provided they have good light and are watered daily.

If there is a ‘best time’ to plant, it is autumn because this allows plants the longest time to establish before their first summer which is usually the hardest season for them.

Rarely these days, some plants (for example roses, deciduous trees and some fruit trees) are supplied in the winter months as ‘bare root’ ie. they are not in a pot but usually have the roots wrapped in plastic or hessian, sometimes with a small amount of damp straw or sawdust.  These plants must be planted in July or August before spring growth commences.  These plants can also be held for 2-3 weeks before planting providing the roots are kept damp. This is best done by covering the roots with soil in a corner of the garden.

Preparation

The key to success with plants is a thriving root system.  Hence a little extra time and money spent at planting time pays off.

Dig a hole at least twice as wide as the root ball or spread of roots.  Break up subsoil but in heavy clay soils do not dig down into the clay base.  It is better and advisable to build the soil level up by using a mixture of extra soil and planting mix.  An application of gypsum can be beneficial in clay soils.

Make sure the plant is well watered before planting.

Planting

The plant should be placed in the hole so that the soil level after planting is the same as the level in the pot (or in the case of ‘bare root’ plants the soil level on the stem).  Some plants may appear a little ‘root bound’ ie. they have a mass of roots especially around the base.  This is not normally a problem, but it is a good idea to gently tease out those roots circling around the base.

Backfill around the roots with a mixture of the soil from the hole and ican Premium Planting Mix or Compost. Include with this a handful or two of ican Slow Food, a long term, controlled release fertiliser.  ican Slow Food is safe, will not burn roots, and give your plants a perfect start in life. No other feeding is required in the first year.  Firm the soil around the roots to ensure good contact with the soil and to keep the plant stable. Water in well to settle the soil around the roots.

Staking

Trees and tall shrubs require staking to aid establishment and to keep the plant erect. For best results use 2 or 3 stakes evenly spaced a short distance from the trunk and soft ties as support from the trunk to the stakes.   

Watering

It will be some weeks or even months before your new plants have roots penetrating well out into the soil. Until this happens, they are dependent on the initial root ball for water. This is not a big reserve and therefore plants will need watering regularly through the first summer. From September through to April your new plants should be watered 3 times a week.

Mulching

This involves covering the soil surface around your plants with a layer of compost, bark fines or straw 20-40mm deep preferably laid before summer.  This reduces water loss from the soil and keeps roots cool in the hot weather.  Mulching also restricts the growth of weeds.

Feeding

If you have used ican Slow Food at planting time, there will be no need to feed your plants for a year.  Thereafter you should give them an annual topdressing of ican Slow Food or an ican fertiliser to suit the plant.  A light annual dressing of lime or gypsum is also desirable.  For more detailed information on the requirements of the different plant groups refer to the relevant articles or ask at your local ican retailer.

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