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 Gardening for beginners: how to plant

There is a saying among gardeners: 'One penny per plant and one pound per hole'. Preparation and planting are the best way to ensure your plants grow well. The more work you do in preparing the soil, the better the results will be. A good start to a plant is flowers and fruits or even a strong, established plant that requires little maintenance so you can reap the rewards later.

Before you start - check your soil

Before choosing plants for your garden, it is important to check what type of soil you have. Different plants adapt to different soils, and you should improve your soil before planting. Check the consistency of the soil first - is it sticky and muddy (clay) or does it fall easily with your fingers (sand)? Better somewhere between the two - this type of soil is often referred to as peeling or well-drained. This means that the young roots spread easily.

If your soil is heavy clay, it will be difficult to dig and to improve the structure, add a lot of well-rotted compost or manure. If your soil is sandy or calcareous, add organic matter to improve fertility. You should also check the pH level of your soil. Most plants require a moderately acidic pH of 6, but some require high levels of acidity and are often referred to as ericaceous plants. It is difficult to change the pH of your soil, but you can change it by adding acid fertilizers or creating an acid-raised bed or container. The most important thing to remember about soil is to choose plants that are suitable for the growing conditions in your plot - it is easier than trying to change the soil.

Create a planting plan

If you are lucky enough to have a new garden, or have created a new bed and determined the plants you want, it is a good idea to create a planting plan. You can cut out pictures of plants you like from lists and magazines and play with how to arrange them. Once your plants arrive, set them up and play with the layout. You should read the instructions and leave enough space to propagate the plant in full growth.

Planting plants in the pot

Dig a hole suitable for the plant of your choice. With a pot plant, you can check this by placing the pot in the hole. It should fit snugly and should be no more than 2cm around the perimeter, while its depth should not be deeper than the depth of the pot. Most small shrubs are sold in plastic pots, which are mostly grown. You will find that the bush you choose has a very tight root ball. If this is the case, gently tease the mat of roots and loosen the soil - do not worry about harming the plant as new roots will grow.

Planting bare shrubs and trees

If you have a hollow root plant such as a rose, tree, or shrub, make sure there is plenty of space for the roots to spread comfortably. See if the soil has a ‘tight mark’ at the base of the plant, showing the depth at which it was previously planted. Use this as a guide to how deep to plant now. Trim the sides of your hole, so that the soil roots are easier to penetrate. Once you have dug your pit to the proper depth and width, add a little fish, blood and bone, mycorrhizal fungus, or well-rotted manure. If using stock, push it in, now, diagonally, firmly inside. Place your bare plant in the hole so that the roots spread out and fill the hole with soil (tie in stock if using one). Gently stabilize the soil around the planting area.

Planting bulbs

If planting bulbs in containers, add a few cracks at the bottom to help drain. Then add a layer of compost. You can stack the bulbs and plant varieties that bloom below, such as tulips, and varieties that bloom above, such as crocuses. Planting this ‘lasagne’ method is a great way to save space. If you plant spring bulbs in the ground, you can naturalize them by digging them out on the lawn and popping the bulbs three times deeper than their own depth. Or you can plant a group around a tree, slightly closer to the surface. Many bulbs benefit by adding a BT grid to the hole because they can get dirty in the winter when they are wet. Read more about planting spring bulbs in the fall.

Planting plug plants

Plug plants to start your garden The easiest way to buy. These are small seedlings, usually purchased by mail, and are available in early spring, often in two sizes or stages of growth. Both sizes should be coated in large pots so they can grow to the next level before being planted in your borders or containers. The key to successful growth from plug plants is to pour water into the plugs before planting and gently manipulate the plants with the top two leaves, pushing them out of the containers they come from. Fill a small pot with compost and set up the well. Just lower your plug. Then gently tap the soil around it. Some varieties may require re-potting as the size increases and after all the risk of frost has passed, the outside should be 'hardened' before planting.

 

Planting depth

Check the planting requirements for the plants when you buy them. For example, bearded irises should be planted in sunlight just above soil level on the surface of the rhizome. However, when cultivating using roses, check that the area where the crop joins the rhizomes is at the soil level.

Planting in containers

You can have a lot of fun with containers choosing plants for different seasonal looks and colors. Adding some broken utensils to the bottom of the container is the golden rule - it helps drain. To prevent your compost from drying out too quickly, mix it with a little topsoil. Plants use up the nutrients in the manure within about six weeks, so add a handful of slowly released manure or continue feeding with liquid fodder or tomato fodder. Plant your containers generously - then change them to always thinner.

To help you get started, check out some of the gardening tools we have tried and tested below to choose the best kit for planting and support.