Looking after new plants

You have been to the garden centre, bought your prized specimen, got it home and can't wait to get it in the ground. It's easy just to dig a hole, throw the plant in and leave it to it. The problem is that plants need to be looked after. They need to be treated to various things like water, food, ample space etc. in order to grow the best they can. Dispite the fact that the roots seem healthy when you inspect them, symptyms of poor growth include:

• Poor growth.
• Dicolouration of the plants leaves.
• Leaves which drop.
• Plant dieing for no apparent reason

It's not difficult to do, you just need to know how.

• Make sure the plant is actually in the ground at the correct level; that is the same level as it was in the pot or slightly proud, so that the root flare is at ground level.
• Ensure the roots are teased out of the rootball after removing the pot. This ensures the roots get ample chance to grow into new soil and not strangle each other. (Check when buying the plant that it is not pot-bound.
• Make sure the the hole you dig is big enough to fit the roots which you have just teased out.
• The sides of the hole should be broken into with a spade or fork to encourage roots to grow into the surrounding soil. This is especially important on heavy and clay soils to ensure that the hole that you have dug does not become a sump for water to drain into and drown the new plant.
• The soil should be firm enough to ensure there are no air pockets in the soil but not be pressed down firmly enough that the plant cannot grow properly.
• Take note of the weather conditions when planting and take special care when the weather is cold or when the wind is strong as plants can easily suffer from low temperatures or being dried out. (Take special care with bare rooted plant material).
• Water the plant enough in the first 2 years (whilst the plant roots are getting established). Take extra care in summer (even when cool and wet).