Planting Trees and Shrubs

Arguments rage between gardeners on the best time to plant trees and shrubs. The consensus is that anytime between October and March is a good time. However, planting in the autumn is preferred by many while the ground still retains warmth and moisture.

Above ground, the autumn season for most trees and shrubs is a dormant one, the leaves have fallen or are in the process of doing so, and therefore the plant doesn’t have the hard work of
having to pump water through the roots to the leaves and shoots above.

Planting now gives the shrub the chance to expend their energy on the root system of newly planted trees and shrubs, encouraging rapid root growth, ensuring that the plant will be well-established when the growth explosion in the spring takes place.

If you can find bare-rooted trees, then go for this option every time. A container grown tree will mean that the root system won’t be as healthy and will likely be quite crowded, which will make them difficult to tease out when you want to plant. If you can’t find a bare-rooted specimen, then container grown is fine, but be sure to spend some extra time teasing out the roots to give them the best possible chance to thrive.

When it comes to planting, begin with a good sized hole, ensuring that it is several inches (or more) wider than the longest of your roots on your tree or shrub. Prepare it with a mixture of good organic matter such as garden compost and well-rotted manure which will help ensure it doesn’t dry out. If you have a heavy soil, add some grit and leaf mould too to help with aeration and drainage around the roots.

You only really need to stake large trees, or if you are planting in a particularly windy area. Otherwise, the best advice is that if a tree is given a chance to move around a little, it will form a stronger trunk in the long-run. If you are going to stake, use a short stake, at an angle, with a proper tree tie fitted so as not to damage the bark.

Finally, ensure thorough and regular watering is carried out during any dry spells for at least the first couple of years after planting. Bearing in mind that lack of water is the biggest cause of newly planted trees dying, if I only needed one reason to convince me to plant in the autumn, this would be it.

By Nikki Relffe-Arnold