Take care of your trees, planting them as soon as you can after they arrive and no more than a week later. If you can't plant them immediately, store them out of drying winds and under shade to protect against freezing or over-heating
Give your trees the best start
- Insert stake if required.
- Remove any wrapping or container from tree, but for root-balled or container-grown trees do not disturb the soil around roots.
- Inspect tree and remove any broken or damaged twigs and roots.
- Soak roots well before planting.
- Check depth of hole (junction between root and stem must be at finished soil level); adjust if necessary.
- In the case of bare-rooted trees, space roots out carefully and enlarge hole if necessary to avoid bending roots.
- One person holds tree and a second puts soil over roots.
- Shake tree gently up and down, so that soil filters through and around roots; firm soil lightly with foot.
- Continue filling and treading more firmly but not too hard in wet conditions.
- Fill all parts of hole and tread firmly with heel of foot, leaving firm soil at previous surrounding soil level.
- Secure tree to stake if provided.
- If dry, water well.
- Rake and tidy up and apply mulch.
- Voles, rabbits, hares and deer all eat trees or strip the bark. An appropriately sized tree shelter can help prevent the loss of your tree – this is not usually necessary in a garden.
