PLANT A TREE FROM A CONTAINER

Done now it will be able to establish be er over spring

It’s tree planting season so I’m making sure I have some ‘backbone’ trees and shrubs planted for structure and height in a new area of my small garden. I’ve chosen small crab apple, Malus toringo ‘Scarle ’, which will reach only 4m (13ft) in 10 years. I’m siting it in sun and fertile, well-drained soil, where it will look magnificent with its bright pink flowers, bronze-purple leaves and small red-purple fruits in autumn.

Usually trees come in bareroot (cheapest and for planting between November and March), rootballed (dug up with soil retained around the roots), or containers, which have been growing in pots at the nursery for about a year before they’re bought for planting. I went for containerised simply because that’s how my chosen tree was sold, but bare-roots are a good option now. Container trees can be planted at any time of year, but it’s best done between autumn and late winter so they can establish be er over spring.

Avoid planting in waterlogged or frozen soil and loosen the soil before digging. If you have poor soil a helping of organic ma er, such as compost, will improve it, but it’s not necessary on good soils. Give your plant a good water before you set it out. Once planted, only trees of thumb thickness and over, those that are in exposed spots or those that are top heavy need staking, but if you have a rabbit or deer problem, be sure to use tree guards for protection. Give your tree a helping of mulch such as garden compost, leaf mould or ro ed manure, which will retain moisture and keep weeds down.