Our guide to planting a tree...
There are many considerations when planting a tree such as; how to plant correctly,  watering properly and the aftercare. Below is our guide to planting a tree. Of course, all trees are individuals so they all need different types of care, so if you require further advice for your tree, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to advise.

1. Water your tree thoroughly before planting. If the tree is bare-root always soak the roots for at least 10 minutes. The amount of water a potted tree will need depends on its size. A bigger tree will need more water than a smaller tree. As a guide, we advise you give the tree 1L of water, per 1L of pot size. So if your tree is in a 50L pot, it'll need 50L of water (5 large watering cans/bucket fulls). Water the pot slowly, to ensure that the plant takes up as much water as possible, rather than running out of the pot holes.
    
2. Remove the tree from its pot and 'tease out the roots'. This means by using a fork or similar implement, release the tension of the rootball by teasing out the roots away from the rootball, so that when planted they will regrow into the new soil. See the image adjacent.
    
3. Dig a planting hole that is no deeper than the depth of the pot, but is up to three times the diameter. If planting into lawn, keep the removed turf seperately to the subsoil. Digging out a hole up to 3x larger than the pot ensures that the soil around the roots is more accessible for the new roots to grow into, therefore allowing it to root as quickly and strongly as possible.
    
4. If the sides or base of the planting hole are compacted, spike the soil with a fork before planting, this will loosen the soil that surrounds the new roots. Do not dig over the base as the disturbed soil will settle – resulting in the tree sinking too deep after planting.
    
5. Place the tree in the planting hole and make sure that the soil line on the tree stem is at the same level as the surrounding ground. If you're not sure, use your spade or another level edge to lay across the tree base and see if it is level with the ground. If it is not, you have dug the hole too deep. A tree should never be planted deeper than the original soil level as this can lead to plant failure.
    
6. Depending on the size of your tree will depend on whether you support it with one stake or two. If you're using two stakes, eitherside of the rootball, now is the time to drive in your stakes eitherside of the rootball, 30cm deeper than the bottom of the hole. If you're supporting the tree with only one stake, you can drive it in at a 45° angle.
    
7. Backfill the soil you removed, to fill in the rest of the hole and then firm down by treading in gently.
    
8. If using two stakes, nail/screw the crossbar to the top of both stakes and secure your tree tie to the centre of the cross bar, then tie in the tree.
   
   
   Make sure to monitor your tree tie and release it when required, to ensure the tree doesn't grow into the tie, as seen adjacent.