How To Plant A Tree From A Container

Step 2: Choose the tree

You can buy young trees in containers from garden centres or nurseries. Look for trees with healthy foliage with no discolouration or holes, and moist compost. If you buy a tree without any soil around the roots, known as bare-rooted, it should be planted between November and March.

Step 3: Prepare the tree

A few hours before you plant your tree, thoroughly water it while it's still in the container. Position the tree so it has access to sun and rain, but isn't too exposed if conditions are windy. Find out how high and wide your tree will grow and make sure there is enough space for it's full size.

Step 4: Prepare the soil

Remove any weeds and mulch from the site. Using a spade, dig a deep hole twice the diameter and 15 centimetres deeper than the tree's container. Holland Park recommend adding compost to the base of the hole to aid growth. You can also mix in a small handful of slow release fertiliser and water retaining crystals to further improve your tree's chances of survival. Using a garden fork, prick the sides and base of the hole to break up the smooth surface created by the spade. This will encourage the roots to grow outwards and help rain to move through the sides of the hole rather than sitting at the base of the roots and rotting them.

Step 5: Plant

Lay the tree on it's side and gently slide it out of it's container. Tease out some of the roots around the root ball so they will grow away from the plant and into the surrounding soil. Lift it into the centre of the hole. It should be planted at the same depth as it was in the container, so add or remove some soil at the bottom of the hole if the depth is wrong. The soil can be mixed with compost or slow release fertiliser to help nourish your tree.
Replace the rest of the soil around the root ball. Firm the soil around the base of the tree with your hands.

Step 6: Water

Water the area with a full watering can of water. To encourage rain water to collect around the base of the tree, make sure the soil slopes down to form a shallow trench.

Step 7: Support

Wrap a plastic tree guard around the tree to stop it being damaged by animals. If your tree is over 1.5 metres tall, it will need a supporting piece of wood called a stake. Drive it into the soil at an angle so it doesn't disturb the root ball. Fix the tree to the stake with a rubber expandable band which will be flexible in strong winds.

Step 8: Mulch

To help prevent weeds and keep the soil moist, add a mulch layer of leaves or bark chippings.

Your newly planted tree should be watered regularly during the first year. Depending on the type of tree, it may also need to be pruned to encourage it to grow in the right shape.