So here we are, ready to plant! You’ve got your gardening gloves on, your garden fork or trowel and of course, your plant.
To start, it’s best to dig a hole that is a bit bigger than the soil part of the pot plant, that way you’re not going to squash your plants roots too much. Once you’ve done that, gently remove the pot from the plant. The plant and its soil/roots will either come out easily or it might need a bit of manipulation. If need be, gently squeeze the base of the pot until the plant starts to wriggle free. Try to hold the plant by the base – where it comes out of the soil, this should be its strongest point.
Once the plant is free from the pot, you can gently squeeze the soil base a bit, to loosen up the roots. That should encourage them to spread out and enjoy their new surroundings, rather than remain in their previous bounded pot shape.
Put the plant (soil and roots first) into the ground and start back filling with the soil you initially removed from the ground. Try to make sure all air pockets are filled in, this reduces root damage. Lightly press the plant into the ground to make sure it’s all snug
Water the soil, covering the plant you’ve just put in and a little further around, to make sure the roots have plenty of moisture when they start spreading out.
For new/young plants it’s best to water daily for a couple of weeks then every few days in the weeks to follow. For more mature plants, water daily for a week or so then every few days for the following weeks.
Happy planting!