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3. Knock the plant from its pot and if pot-bound, tease a few of the biggest roots out of the mass coiled round the bottom and sides of the rootball.
Only give the rootball a heavy bashing if it’s a seriously pot-bound conifer or other tough-rooted tree/shrub. Never do it with fleshy-rooted plants (such as magnolias) – it’ll set them back years. Just leave well alone - new roots will find their way out as they grow.
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4. Stand the rootball in the centre of the hole. Most plants have a ‘best side’, so get someone to turn it while you look.
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5. Check that the top of the rootball is level with the surrounding soil, and that the plant is standing upright, not leaning over at a drunken angle.
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6. Mix half and half organic matter and soil, and backfill around the rootball, firming it down gently with your foot, or hands with smaller plants.
7. Once the soil is level, give the plant a good water in, and spread a 7cm to 10cm (3in to 10in) layer of mulch around the cultivated area.
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Aftercare
You may wish to move something in the garden. March/April and Sept/Oct are good times for evergreens and conifers, while all year round is good for container grown plants.
Aftercare is very important in growing periods, such as May, June and July.
Whenever the weather is dry, keep new plants well watered, so that roots are encouraged to grow into the surrounding soil.
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