"Nick Gray" wrote in message
...

I take it heeling means firming around the rootball with my heel
after
planting?

Many thanks to you and Mike for advice.

Yep you got it, firm the soil down around the roots with your foot
(it
doen't have to be your heel, but that's normally where you can apply
most
pressure), so the roots are in contact with the soil. After firming,
water
in well, this should get rid of any air pockets.

There would appear to be two uses for the term "heelong in". The
alternative is to put newly acquired shrubs in a large drill, the
roots lightly covered with soil, until the ground is ready for proper
planting.

Franz