How to plant bare root trees & shrubs
What is bare-root planting? And what are rootball plants? Both are ways of planting trees, hedges and some shrubs (such as roses) in the least costly way you can, and also at the horticulturally best time of year, as the planting process hapens while the plants are dormant over the winter. Bare-root plants arrive with their roots exposed (but in a bag of some sort), and rootballs are used for heavier plants where the roots are encased in soil within a hessian sack. Tom offers the supply and planting of bare-root and rootball hedges and trees in the Glasgow area.
If you are planting yourself, do make sure you do a good job, as this stage is critical for the survival for the tree or plant. For each plant, find the ‘nursery line’ on the main stem, this is the point somewhere above the top of the roots where the soil reached up to before the plant was prepared for sale. It is important that the soil is at the same level once the plant is in the ground – not higher, and not lower. Dig a square shaped hole in the ground which is plenty big enough, and firm the soil several times as you in-fill the hole. The square shaped hole ensures that roots don’t spiral around and that they are forced to spread out – more critical when planting pot-grown plants, but still important. For shrubs you can add a handful of compost or a bit of fish, blood and bone mix, but for trees it is important that you do not use any compost or fertilizer. This is to force the tree to go searching for nutrients, and thereby develop a strong network of roots. Do not forget that trees will need staking and protecting from predators too.
Do not forget that the winter months are also a great time of year for getting in touch with landscape gardeners, garden designers and gardeners as it is a great time to start prepping the garden for the spring, and getting any plans ready for you to enjoy once spring rolls around. And, I always mention this, but do not forget to feed your birds at this time of year, as many really rely on the extra food that we put out…