When choosing a tree, think about the vigour, planned location, aspect and what you want your new tree to do for your garden.
Steps:
- Clear the area of weeds and turf, then dig a hole as deep as the pot and 2 to 3 times the width, breaking up the bottom and sides of the planting pit with a fork. Planting in a depression can help with watering in dry spells.
- If the soil pit is dry, pour in a bucket of water and allow this to soak in, then briefly place your tree in a bucket of water to ensure it is fully wetted.
- Add some Rootgrow Mycorrhiza, as well as some planting compost to your garden soil and thoroughly mix the backfill material.
- Carefully tap the pot off of the root ball, if there are older thick roots circling the bottom of the pot, snip through one or two of these with secateurs to encourage growing out rather than circling of roots.
- Place in the centre of the hole, with the plants root ball surface at or slightly below soil level, backfill evenly, and firmly as you go, but don’t compact.
- Staking your plant will prevent wind rock, so if possible stake your tree, with the stake just to the outside of the root ball, attaching the stake to the tree with a Tree tie at 1m above the ground, this allows the trunk to flex and strengthen. Check that as the tree moves, it cannot rub on the stake, and remember to adjust the tree tie every summer.
- Mulching with bark or gravel is great for retaining moisture, and grass must not ever be allowed to grow within 50cm of the tree trunk.
- Water well when done & check every 2 or 3 days until established. We recommend watering heavily but infrequently over the whole planting area, and further out as the tree establishes. Feed your tree in future years with Vitax Q4 every spring.
