Planting Your New Tree
1. DIGGING YOUR HOLE
• Dig a hole roughly 3 times as wide and twice as deep as the pot. Make sure the sides and bottom are roughed up, not smooth.
• Add 2kg (1/4 of a bucket) of Healthy Earth Instant Clay Breaker and roughly mix into the bottom of the hole.
2. Soil Preparation
• Add 1/3 Planting Compost to 2/3 of the existing soil you have taken from the hole. If the clay is dreadful and could be moulded, add 50% compost to 50% existing soil.
• Add ½ handful of Healthy Earth Fertiliser and 2kg (1/4 of a bucket) of Healthy Earth Clay Breaker.
• Mix thoroughly
3. Planting
• Return 1/3 of your prepared soil to the hole.
• Remove the tree/shrub from its pot and gently loosen the roots.
• Set your tree into position and fill hole with the remaining soil.
• Sprinkle another ½ handful of Healthy Earth Fertiliser on top.
4. STAKING
• Place your stakes outside the root ball of the tree, and hammer in so they are sturdy. Use 2 stakes for smaller trees and 3 stakes for larger trees.
• Water the tree with about 20L of water and let it settle for a week before tying tree ties. Tree ties could be Hessian, Softy or Jolly ties.
• Figure 8 or loop the ties loosely around the tree and stakes on the lower half of the tree.
• Keep staked for 12 months and then remove the stakes.
5. Aftercare
• Water a maximum of once a week after planting (dependant on whether or not it has rained and the time of year).
• When to feed your tree:
- 21 Sept- approx. (Floriade): To assist with breaking winter dormancy and to give an energy boost for spring growth.
- 21 Dec- approx. (Christmas): For bark development (secondary thickening) and expansion of girth, helps to harden off soft spring growth.
- 21 March- approx. (Easter): For carbohydrate storage in bark, like an energy source while dormant in winter. Provides food for root development and growth end Jul/early Aug-Sep.
6. How to fertilise
• Make holes (•) with stake or similar, 20cm (8”) deep, 1m apart in concentric rings 1m apart, starting 1m from trunk (0.5m for young trees less than 5yrs old). If older, 1m from trunk until reaching drip line.
• Add 1tsp Healthy Earth Fertiliser per hole.
• Water in thoroughly.