Lesson 8
Planting and Establishment
Plant at the right depth, and keep a new plant's rootball watered until its roots have spread into the soil around it.
A new plant lives on an island
When you plant a shrub from a pot, its roots are still packed into the shape of that pot. For its first season or more, that rootball is an island: the plant drinks almost entirely from it, while its roots slowly grow out into the soil around. Establishment is that journey, until the roots have spread far enough to look after the plant themselves.
The island matters because it behaves differently from the ground around it. Potting compost dries faster than garden soil, and roots packed in a ball empty it quickly on a warm day. Bigger isn't easier: a large, flowering specimen has more leaves to supply from the same small ball, and often settles in more slowly than a younger plant. Before you dig, run the checks in Tools, Technique and Safety.