Backseat Driving: Do I Need To Stake A Tree?

Picking on Huw Richards Inspires Us to Make Better Tree Planting Videos At Ashridge, we feel a bit responsible for how well people plant trees. We are not the the Huw Richards police; we would never pick on him because he is YouTube famous and we want some of that. We totally agree with his… Continue reading Backseat Driving: Do I Need To Stake A Tree?

Opening Packs of Spiral Guards

Open rabbit spirals quickly like a pro, smoothly separating rolls out into 5 individual guards Hedge spirals, rabbit guards, are manufactured in rolls of 5, coiled up like springs: the harder you try to pull them apart, the more they grip one another. Unwinding them from the outside takes too long. To pull them apart… Continue reading Opening Packs of Spiral Guards

Planting A Box Hedge

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is a tough little evergreen, one of the relatively few hedge plants that is genuinely happy in shade. Once established, Box survives in dry ground. Box grows slowly and clips very neatly, a perfect choice for a low hedge or living border edging, an ideal subject for topiary.  Bareroot box hedge plants are… Continue reading Planting A Box Hedge

How to Plant A Fruit Tree

Fruit Tree Planting Watch our step-by-step video showing you how to plant bush or half-standard sized fruit tree with a small 120cm tree stake.It applies to any bush or half-standard size fruit tree: apple, pear, cherry, plum, quince, etc. All fruit trees have a graft union where the rootstock is fused to the scion: this union point should be above ground level.  VIDEO TRANSCRIPT Hello,… Continue reading How to Plant A Fruit Tree

Preparing Clay Soil

Why Clay Soil is Special Soil compaction tends to be worse on heavy clay, so breaking up the soil to a good fork’s depth at the bottom of the planting hole is often very beneficial, as is working over a larger area than strictly necessary for the planting hole.  Improving Clay Soil Options Improving Planting… Continue reading Preparing Clay Soil

Prepare Soil For Planting Trees, Shrubs & Hedges

This article is primarily about preparing soil before planting trees (ornamental or fruiting), hedging, roses, and other shrubs. It won’t consider vegetable beds, where more work might be justified, or perhaps No-Dig methods. Soil preparation is important because it helps strong roots to establish quickly. If the roots struggle to settle in, the whole plant will struggle. Like so many things in gardening,… Continue reading Prepare Soil For Planting Trees, Shrubs & Hedges

Transplanting Evergreen Trees & Shrubs

Moving Evergreens Without Killing Them This article is all about moving evergreens like box, yew or pyracantha. Moving plants is not complicated, but by minimising the stress they endure, your success rate will be much higher. Preparation before digging up your plants You need a plan. Are you going to replant immediately? If so then make sure the new… Continue reading Transplanting Evergreen Trees & Shrubs

Best Time To Plant Hedges & Trees In the UK

“Which month is best for planting?” is an age-old debate! You can plant trees or hedges at any time of year. There are pros & cons to each season. Watering new plants well in dry weather until they are established is the most important thing. Bareroot Season Starts In Autumn – November With woody plants like trees, hedge plants, or rose bushes, it’s always better to… Continue reading Best Time To Plant Hedges & Trees In the UK

Slit Planting Vs Planting In A Trench Or Hole

Compare Slit Planting VS Trench Planting Slit Planting Used for bareroot hedging & trees under 80cm Mainly for country hedges & forestry planting of sapling trees Does not allow you to improve soil Roots must be small enough to sweep down into a slit Quick and easy See our Country Hedge Planting Film Trench /… Continue reading Slit Planting Vs Planting In A Trench Or Hole

Planting Rose Bushes

Rose bushes are British gardeners’ favourite plant. In this complete guide to planting rose bushes, find out the best conditions for roses, how to plant them in borders or in pots, and avoid rose replant sickness. Roses are cheap and easy to buy bareroot in Winter season, looking like this: TRANSCRIPT So these are the roses… Continue reading Planting Rose Bushes

Planting Blackberries & Wire Training

Planting Blackberries  Blackberry bushes tolerate most growing conditions found in the UK, and benefit greatly from anything to grow on for support, keeping their canes up off the ground and receiving sunlight. Where can I grow Blackberries? Blackberries in the wild are vigorous weeds, even in poor soil and shady corners. They are ideal for… Continue reading Planting Blackberries & Wire Training

Habitat Aid Hedge Planting Video

Habitat Aid is our all-time favourite, award-winning, impact driven, Somerset based business founded in 2008, and their hedge planting video is educationally inspirational Native hedge plants are proven to be tough as cookies made of brass monkeys, and Habitat Aid demonstrate how rough and ready you can be with them. Hawthorn in particular is absurdly… Continue reading Habitat Aid Hedge Planting Video

YoungWilders Hedgerow Project

No one likes a pedantic so-and-so who points out that planting country hedgerows, which are a feature exclusively of landscapes managed by mankind (mostly farmers) is by definition not a re-wilding project, it’s really a re-ruraling project. I, naturally, would never do that, any more than I would sulk over age precluding me from joining… Continue reading YoungWilders Hedgerow Project

Freezing weather & bareroot plants

Most of the damage caused to bareroot plants in cold, freezing conditions is to the delicate roots themselves. The roots are fine, fibrous structures with a high water content: moving them, or even the slightest touch whilst frozen, can cause damage. Almost all of a shrub or a tree’s energy reserves are stored in the… Continue reading Freezing weather & bareroot plants

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