PLANTING TIPS YOUR NEW PLANTS
Have your new plants arrived and you want to ensure that they perform to the best of their ability? Here is some fabulous advice from one of our growers in Melbourne, on how to best prepare and plant your new plants. Read on!
1. Water your Plants - Make sure your new plants are watered well in their current pots before planting.. You can even soak them in a bucket of water. This is best done a few hours prior to planting.
2. Prepare you garden beds - Add in some organic matter like compost or aged animal manure. Use a fork to turn into the soil.
3. Do not step on the soil in your garden beds. Soil should be light and airy not compacted by someone standing on it.
5. Dig your holes twice as wide as the diameter for their current pot or bag size. The depth of the hole will need to be as deep as the root ball.
6. Ensure the soil has good drainage - This is important for the future health of the roots of your plants.
You can test drainage by filling your hole with water and leaving it for about an hour. If the water has completely gone then the drainage is good. If after an hour half has subsided you have fair drainage but if it is less than that then you know that your drainage is not good and it should be improved. You can do this by digging a slip trench on the lower sloping side of the hole and back filling it with blue metal.7. Remove your plants from the pot or bag and check to see if there are any circling roots on the rootball. If so it is advisable to give your plants a light root-prune before planting. You can do this by using a sharp spade or old bread knife and taking off approx 1-2 inches off the sides and bottom.
8. You are now ready to place your plants in the hole but before doing so cover the bottom of the hole with some compost or animal manure. Place your plants in the hole at soil level. You can create a catchment for water by creating a well around the root ball. This will ensure that water goes in the right place.
Fill soil 3/4 of the way in the hole, firm the soil then give a good watering, then fill in the rest of the hole with soil and give another good watering.
9. Mulch your garden beds but do not pile mulch against the trunk of a tree as this can cause collar rot, best to keep mulch an inch or two away.
If used correctly mulching will act as an insulator, adds organic matter to your soil, reduces weed growth, reduces water loss, retains water. Seek advice on the best mulch for your garden.
10. After planting ensure that you water your plants in well and for the first summer it is important to look after your new plants well. Watering twice a week with longer watering periods is better than a quick water every day.
There can be such a thing as over watering so to ensure that you do not do this you can do the 'poke test' by poking your finger into the soil to see if you can feel moisture 3-5cm down. If it is dry then it is time to water.
11. Sit back, relax and watch your new plants thrive!
You can also watch the following video from one of our Melbourne growers on Planting Advanced Trees:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtkqnPIBp0o
*Please note that the above is general advice and if you are unsure at all or you are purchasing a very large advanced tree, we recommend using a gardener or landscaper to do the job of preparing and planting for you.
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