Step-by-step plan for planting garden plants, shrubs and Mediterranean plants in the open ground
The advantage of Heijnen Plants' garden plants, shrubs and Mediterranean plants is that they are grown in pots. This allows them to be planted all year round, with the exception of periods of frost.
The following is a step-by-step plan for planting garden plants, shrubs and Mediterranean plants when you are planting them in the open ground.
- Prepare the soil as described on the soil preparation page. If you follow these steps, you will get off to a good start, which will benefit the growth of the hedge plants. Follow these instructions to avoid disappointments. This step is half the battle for growth success!
- Water the plants generously before planting. Preferably submerge the root ball of each plant in a bucket of water to ensure that they are planted while properly moist. Make sure the root ball absorbs as much water as possible.
- Arrange the garden plants and shrubs while still in their pots on the plot of land you want to plant them in. When it comes to Mediterranean plants, do so in a covered spot out of the wind as much as possible. On each product page in our web shop, we offer advice on the number of plants needed per metre/square metre and location (number of hours of sun). When you arrange your plants, it is easy for you to see if they are distributed correctly. If necessary, move the plants a little closer or farther apart (with the prettiest side in view) to fill the entire planting area with the same spacing between them.
- When the plants have been arranged properly, you can remove the plastic pots. Immersing the pot briefly in a bucket of water makes it easier to take the plant out of its pot, and the root ball is moistened once more as well. Sometimes the plants in the pots have already grown so hard that the roots are growing out of the bottom of the pot. By gently prying the plant out of the pot, the roots will often follow as well. If this is not the case, any roots that are outside the pot can be cut away or the plastic pot can be cut off. This results in no loss of quality or growth retardation for the plant.
- Using a spade or trowel, dig a hole in the soil twice the size of the plant pot. If necessary, some additional potting soil or Heijnen Planting soil can be mixed into the planting hole, but make sure it is mixed well with the existing soil. For some plants that require extra care in terms of soil requirements, we have added some additional explanations in our web shop on the corresponding product pages. Azaleas and Rhododendrons, for example, grow extra well with some garden turf. As long as our product pages do not explicitly write about soil requirements, the plants do not need special soil.
- When the planting hole is large enough, the plant can be placed in the planting hole. When doing so, be careful not to place the plant too deep, but also not too high! The proper planting depth is easy to remember: make sure that the top of the soil (on a plant that has been removed from the pot) is slightly below the soil surface (even if the soil around the plant has been pressed down firmly). You should (only just) not be able to see the top of the 'potted plant' once it is planted.
- Next, firmly press the soil around the plant. When doing so, make sure that the plant is not placed too deep or too shallow afterwards. Neither is good for plant growth.
- When all the plants are planted, you can neatly till the soil around the plants with a rake. When doing so, be careful not to rake the plants out of the ground. Just rake lightly over the top layer. This is sufficient to level the ground nicely. You can also rake a small 'sand dike' around the plant so that the water stays around the roots during watering.
- You may choose to sprinkle some fertiliser around the plants (in spring and summer), but this can also wait until the plants have grown. When doing so, note the activity period of the fertiliser. Using a long-term fertiliser in late summer is unnecessary, as plants absorb (virtually) no fertiliser in autumn and winter. In addition, it is important that the fertiliser pellets don't get caught between the leaves of the plant. This can cause burns to the leaves. Sprinkle fertiliser carefully around the plants on the raked soil and always use an organic fertiliser (i.e. no artificial fertiliser).
- You can then water the plants generously. This compacts the soil a bit more, allowing the roots to make better contact with the soil and in doing so, to better form new fibrous roots that are important for the plant's water absorption. The presence of moisture allows the plants to take root.
Especially in the initial period after planting, it is important to water the plants on time and generously to keep the soil moist. On sunny, warm days after planting, water almost daily, but always check first whether the soil is still sufficiently moist. If the soil is still moist enough, do not water. After all, too wet is not good either.
When the plants have fully rooted, you don't need to water as much. This is because by that time, the root system will have developed to such an extent that the plant is able to absorb water from the soil itself more easily. It is only in times of persistent drought that the plants require watering. In those cases, it is better to water generously all at once than a little every day. This encourages the roots to search for water in the soil.
At first, be careful when using drip hoses. These can partly help with water management, but in the early stages the roots do not yet extend beyond the root ball and a drip hose alone will be insufficient. Because the hedge plant is not yet rooted by then, (extra) water should be applied on and around the root ball with a nozzle. Only when the plant is fully rooted will a drip hose be sufficient.
