You need to have an area at least three times the diameter of the pot dug as deep as your spade will go. You goal is to make a large area of looser soil that the young roots can penetrate easily, getting food as they go and establishing quickly. If your soil is poor, just use extra organic material. Do not try to dig a hole and fill it with soil you bought somewhere else. Good soil preparation is the key to the success of your tree. If you are planting a screen or hedge, we have special guides for planting hedges, windbreaks and privacy screens. If you plant right on your property line your neighbor has a legal right to cut back your tree to the property line, which may not look very nice, so plant well inside your property so that you have control over growth and pruning of your own trees. Consider how wide it is going to grow and allow enough space from buildings in particular, but also from fences and walls. Look at its needs for sun or shade and choose a suitable spot in your garden for it.

Once your tree has been planted it is best not to try and move it again, so spend some time deciding exactly where to plant it. If it does become very dry, place it in a bucket and half-fill the bucket with water so that the soil can soak completely. Remember to water every day or every second day, depending on how warm the weather is – do not let the pot become completely dry. If you are not going to be doing the planting for a little while, that is fine, they will be happy in their pots, but if your tree is a sun-loving tree, after a day or two in the shade, move it to a sunny location. Do not put them in the garage, a shed or in the house, even if it is cold outside. Your trees have been on a journey and they will be a little stressed, so place them in a shady part of your garden and give them a good watering. When you need to move your plant around, do it by picking up the pot – do not lift it by the trunk or stem. If that is the case, see our guide for planting Ball & Burlap trees, which applies to both deciduous and evergreen trees. If you see that your tree is growing in a plastic pot, you are reading the correct guide.It is also possible that your evergreen tree has its roots wrapped in burlap and rope. Remove all the wrapping materials, remove the trees from the box and remove any wrapping around the trees themselves. The very first thing to do is un-wrap your trees.

Planting norway spruce bare root