How to plant and maintain shrubs, trees, and conifers

Discover how to plant shrubs, trees, and conifers and how to take care of those plants later on :

How to plant shrubs, trees, and conifers

1. Choose the right location: Carefully select a spot based on the plant’s sunlight requirements (you will find more information about your plant’s favorite exposure on its Vallonchêne® label or on our website). To understand terms like “full sun,” don’t be misled by the “south-facing” orientation. It’s the duration of sunlight that matters. “Full sun” means sunlight from noon to 5 pm (more explanations in the plant fact sheets on our website).
2. Prepare a good planting hole: For trees and shrubs, it is recommended to dig a hole 1m x 1m x 1m. Separate the top layer of good soil from the deeper, poorer soil, and replace 50% of it with potting soil (available at Vallonchêne®) or compost. Plants need to feed, just like you, and adding potting soil provides organic matter. Never use heather soil, even for so-called “heather plants”! It dries out too much during dry periods and is difficult to rehydrate. As a result, your plants will suffer from a lack of water or excess water.
3. When filling the hole and planting the plant, do not put any soil or potting soil above the plant’s initial root ball. If you cover the collar, growth can slow down significantly, be destroyed, or the plant may even die in the long term. To avoid this, plant slightly above ground level.
4. Water abundantly at the base of the plant (at least one 12-liter watering can).
5. If you have mulch (a mixture of leaves and pine needles), cover the surface of the planting hole with it (at least 20 cm of thickness while avoiding the plant’s collar). This will help reduce weed growth and preserve moisture around the plant for longer. Never use your grass clippings. “Compost” made from grass clippings should be absolutely avoided.
6. Beware of urine from domestic animals, especially cats and dogs. Animal urination is very often fatal to plants. Urine on evergreens, particularly yews, boxwood, and conifers, can act as a systemic herbicide that destroys the plant, starting with the branch that comes into contact with it and continuing to the rest of the plant. Urine from foxes or badgers can also be dangerous.
7. If it’s a tree, it may be helpful to stake it (depending on its size). This stabilizes the root ball and promotes good root growth. Check the tie regularly to prevent strangulation over time.

How to maintain shrubs, tress, and conifers

If you have followed our above planting instructions, the care of your plants will be much easier (concerning weed and watering):

1. Maintain good humidity for your plant for at least twelve months, especially during dry periods. WARNING! It is very misleading to think that rain provides enough water for newly planted plants. This is false! If you want to succeed in your garden and ensure proper watering for your plants, get a basic rain gauge. This is the only way to monitor garden humidity. A rain gauge is as important as a spade or hoe! Should your rain gauge fail to record a minimum of 10 mm of rainfall in a week, during either spring or summer, supplemental watering is necessary. Furthermore, observing the right humidity is even more significant for evergreen plants than for deciduous plants, as evergreens often show a lack of water by yellowing or dropping leaves when it is already too late.
2. If you have not covered the planting area with mulch, break up the surface crust that develops over time. This allows watering and rainwater to penetrate the soil more easily and reach the roots more effectively.
3. Remove dead flowers. They exhaust the plants with seed production. Your plant will be stronger and more beautiful the following year.

Do you have any questions?
You are welcome to send a message to our customer service.

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