planting bare root whips and hedging - bowhayes trees · pdf fileplanting bare root whips and...
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Planting bare root whips and hedging
Ifyoucan’tplantyourtreesstraightaway,theycanbekeptforashortperiodintheiroriginalpackaginginacool,darkplace.Thesacksshouldbestoreduprightandlooselypackedtoensuretherootsarenotdamagedwithin.Donotopenthemortherootswilldryout.Ifthereisnotasuitableplacetostorethemforthisperiod,orifitwillbeslightlylongerbeforetheycanbeplantedthenitisbesttoheelthemin.Taketheplantsoutofthesacksandplacetheminashallowtrenchwiththerootscoveredlooselybysoil.Ifbundlesaretied,don’tuntiethematthisstage.Usefinesoil,ifpossible,tocovertherootssoittricklesinbetweentoprotectthem.Iftheweatherisdrythenwaterthetrenchtokeepthesoilmoist.Barerootplantscanplantedbynotchorpitplantingmethods,bothofwhichisdescribedhere.Regardlessofwhichmethodischosenforplanting,thereareafewgoldenrulestofollow:
• Keeptherootsofbarerootplantsmoistandcoveredatalltimes.Keeptheplantsintheirpackaging,orintheshallowtrench,untilthemomentyouarereadyforplanting.
• Ideally,don’tdigholesortrenchesuntilthedayofplantingastheycouldfillwithwater.
• Don’tsoakordiptherootsintowaterbeforeyouplant(unlessyouareusingamycorrhizalorotherrootdip.
• Waterthetreeimmediatelyafterplanting,ideallywithabucketfulpertree.• Ensuretheholes,ornotches,arebigenoughtotaketherootssonorootsare
bentorbroken.• Abarerootplantshouldbeplantedtothesamedepthfromwhichitcame–
seenbythesoilmarkontherootcollar.• Treadthesoilinaroundtheplantafterplantingtofirmlysecuretheplantand
anchortheroots.Youcancheckthefirmnessbypullinggentlyonthestem.Iftheplantloosens,itisnotplantedfirmlyenough.Allplantsshouldbecheckedagainwithinthefirstmonthofplanting,andfirmedinagainifnecessary.
Notch Planting
Notchplantingisgenerallyaneasierandquickermethodofplantingandisgenerallysuitableforyoungbareroottreesonmostsites.Stockwithverywidespreadrootsmayneedtobepitplanted(seebelow).Thebasicmethodofnotchplantingisverysimple.
• Insertthebladeofaheavy,straightgardenspadeintotheground,usingabackwardsandforwardsmovement,openthenotchup.
• Withallbutthesmallestplants,itisworthcuttingasecondnotchtomakea‘T’plan.Thisbreaksupalargervolumeofsoilbelowthesurface,givingspacetospreadtheroots.
• Slidetherootssidewaysintothenotchandpullupslightlytospreadtherootsandensuretheyarepointingdownwards.
• Treadfirmlyaroundthestemtoclosethenotchandremoveanyairpockets.
Pit Planting
Pitplantingisgenerallymoretimeconsumingalthoughisoftenconsideredtobeamorethoroughwayofplantingbecausethesoilisremoved,brokenupandreplacedaroundtheroots.WhereayoungplanthasrootswhicharetoobushyandspreadingtofitintoaTnotch,itisworthusingthepitplantingmethod.Theproceduretofollowis:
• Ifplantinginturf,removeasquareofturffirst(thiscanbelaidtoonesideandreplacedinvertedoverthetoporbrokenupandplacedinthebottomofthepit).
• Digasquarepitlargeenoughtotakethetreerootsorrootball,puttingthesoiltooneside,discardinganylargestones.
• Placetheplantintothepit,spreadingtherootsout.Ensurethesoilcollarisatthecorrectheightandadjustifnecessary,thenbackfillwiththesoil.Shakethetreegentlyasthesoilgoesintoensureittricklesthroughtherootsandanyairpocketsarefilled.Finishlevelwiththesurroundingsoilandgentlyfirmitin.
• Waterthetreeifpossible.Treeprotectionshouldbeappliedsecurelyafterplantingifrequired.Forfurtheradvice,pleasecontactuson01404812229.www.bowhayestrees.co.uk