Technical
Sustainable management
of planting
Janine Pattison looks at how correctly dug planting holes, fertiliser, and irrigation can lead to sustainable planting
Plants create essential bulk, colour, texture and movement in a garden with the added benefit of seasonal change and longer-term growth and development. Although usually only consuming a small amount of the initial budget (say 20 per cent in an average garden) they will consume the majority of the on-going costs of maintenance with all the pruning, watering, fertilising, mowing and of course waste creation. So the management of the planting is an essential part of making a garden or landscape more sustainable.
The selection of the plants
for a garden will be the subject of a future article. This month I want to take a close look at the planting process. People have been planting plants for a very long time, so it is not surprising that there are many different recommended ways. Some traditional ways work fine but modern research has developed alternate methods which involve less effort without compromising the establishment of the plant. Plants can be supplied in one of three ways: ● Field-grown bare-root stock ● Spade-dug and root balled ● Container-grown The primary objective of planting is to place plant roots in contact with the soil in which they will be growing. This seems obvious and quite simple but failure to achieve good root-to-soil
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contact is one of the most common reasons for planting failure.
The planting hole
The latest thinking around planting holes is that they should be wider than they are deep. Ideally two to three times the width of the rootball. The outer edges of the hole should be tapered down to create a bowl-like depression. This is because the majority of root growth develops laterally from the ends of the roots and very few roots initially grow downwards. Planting holes should be no deeper than the rootball. Container-grown plants are often root bound with the roots tangled and tightly wrapped inside the pot. These roots need to be opened up to encourage them to come into contact with the soil and absorb moisture. How many times
have you lifted a plant that refuses to grow only to find that it is sitting in a solid-sided hole with
the roots unable to penetrate the soil? Once the plant is in the hole, firmly pack the soil around the plant but do not compact. The objective is to hold the plant securely in place without damaging the soil structure so that air and water can still move down to the roots. A thick layer of organic mulch (5 to 10cm) applied after planting has been shown to have many positive advantages. The mulch should be well composted and kept away from the base of the plant.
Adding fertiliser to new planting is often
unnecessary if the plants have been selected to suit the site, the soil has been prepared correctly, the plants installed well, and post-planting care has been good. Excess application of fertiliser can cause problems of weak, sappy growth that is easily attacked by pests and diseases. Maintaining soil health by regular applications of compost or mulch and avoiding compaction will be more sustainable in the long term. The irrigation of new planting will be critical to its successful establishment; bare-root and rootballed plants will have suffered significant root loss during the transplanting process and container-grown stock is at great risk of drought stress as it struggles to make the transition to open ground. Well established plants will require less water in the future and be more sustainable.
The best planting techniques aim to ensure
long-term survival of the plants and eliminate problems caused by damaged or distorted root systems. As the old saying goes: “Spend sixpence on the plant but a shilling on the hole”.
ABOUT JANINE PATTISON
Janine Pattison MSGD is a multi award-winning garden designer and horticulturalist who trained
with English Heritage at Eltham Palace in London and at Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester. A registered member of the Society of Garden Designers, the British Association of Landscape Industries and the Garden Media Guild, Janine is also a highly qualified RHS horticulturalist.
www.janinepattison.com
August 2013 25
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