The message . 10
from Victoria Clare contains these words:

"al" wrote in
:

I've just had our garden completely removed and re-landscaped at long
last. Trouble is, it's a lot later in the year than I'd planned. I'm
looking for some planting suggestions for things I can buy now and
will survive the winter.

Really don't recommend buying trees or shrubs now. You will be watering
them like mad for the next couple of months, and they will do just as well
(or better) if you leave getting them till the autumn.

That could be true of bare rooted plants or plants which had just been
dug up, but ime it really doesn't apply to well-grown plants sold in
pots. Now is a *good* time to plant those ime, because they can
establish a good root system in the three or four months before winter
freezes.

No need for "watering them like mad for months"; that only encourages
plants to send roots to the soil surface, making them more vulnerable to
drought and damage. The trick is to encourage new root growth downwards,
into cool soil where more moisture is available.

When you have deeply dug and prepared a good big planting hole, (but
before you put the plant in) completely fill it with water, and let the
water drain away. On very dry soils, you could do this twice. Take the
plant out of the pot, tease its roots a little with your fingers and
plant it. Now water the ground around it again, very thoroughly. If your
area is extremely hot and dry, cover the soil above the plants roots
with a mulch of home made compost, or pebbles, or even old cardboard
held by stones, any of which will help the soil below stay damp.

Janet.