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27 May 2012
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how to be a gardener - The complete online guide

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4 - Planting
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How to plant in the garden
The same technique works for pretty much all plants, from a perennial alpine to a 4m (13ft) tree. But there are a few variations, as we’ll see.
You will need:
  • A spade (a trowel for smaller plants)
  • A fork
  • General organic fertiliser such as blood, bone and fishmeal
  • Well-rotted organic matter
  • Mulching material (chipped bark or manure)
1. The day before, check the plant in its pot, and if its dry, stand it in a bucket of water overnight to give it a good drink.
How to plant - dig a hole
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2. If you’ve already prepared the soil, dig a hole about twice the diameter of the pot, and one and a half times as deep as the pot is tall.

If you are planting a tree in grass, or on new ground where the soil hasn’t been well cultivated, make the hole four to five times the pot diameter (but still one and a half times its height.)
In either instance, fill the bottom of the hole with 15cm (6in) of well-rotted organic matter and fork it into the soil.
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4. Practical planting

Introduction
Preparing the ground
Buying plants
Planting
 How to plant in the garden
 Variations on a planting theme
 How to plant in containers
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