When to plant

• As there is so much variety in climate within Canterbury, use local knowledge to choose the right planting time.
• As a general rule: plant hardy, frost-tolerant species in autumn and frost-sensitive species in spring. Note, for inland Mid and South Canterbury, autumn planting is generally not advised.
• Coastal areas and land under centre pivot irrigators tends to be less susceptible to frosts, so there is more flexibility in planting time.
• Wet soils, including areas of shallow water: plant in summer when water levels are low.
• Bare rooted/open ground stock. These need to be planted outside of the growing season: plant in late winter.

If you have the flexibility, pick the right conditions for planting

• Try to avoid planting on hot sunny days or very windy days. This increases the risk of plants drying out.
• Avoid planting before a frost.

Transporting and storing plants

1. Shelter plants from the wind and keep moist during transport in an open trailer or vehicle.
2. Store plants out of the sun – use shade cloth if necessary.
3. If plants are stored for an extended period, avoid excessively shady areas as plants will become leggy and soft.
4. Water stored plants regularly and thoroughly, every 2 days in hot weather, otherwise every 3-4 days.
5. Do not leave plants which have been taken out of root trainers in direct sunlight.
6. It is important to look after your plants during storage and transportation so they do not dry out or suffer damage.

Shade cloth protects stored plants

Plant it right

Step 1: Soak plants

Soak plant roots before planting.

Step 2: Position plants

Refer to your planting plan and spray aerosol where you want the plants to go, or place the bagged plants in the right locations. Remember to place them where you have spot-sprayed or grubbed.


Holes are dug in areas that have already been spot-sprayed.

Step 3: Dig the hole

Dig a hole twice the size of the plant container.

Break up the soil at the bottom of the hole to assist drainage and root development. This is particularly important in clay soils. Repack soil firmly to prevent air gaps.

Step 4: Remove the plant

Remove the plant from the container.
 
Using bagged plants? Gently squeeze the bag and tip the plant upside down. Pull the bag from the plant rather than the other way around, otherwise you may damage the roots. If there are any long straggly roots, cut them off.

Step 5: Place the plant

This plant has been planted deep enough to create a basin that traps water.

Place the plant in the hole so the base of the stem is at the correct depth.

Correct planting depth:

Position the base of the stem 1-2 cm below the soil surface on sites with reasonable moisture and up to 5 cm below the soil surface on dry sites. On permanently wet sites, place the base of the stem 2 cm above the above the soil surface, with soil mounded up over the root ball. Otherwise, the roots of woody plants will be drowned.

Step 6: Fill the hole

Putting some soil on top of the potting mix can prevent it drying out. You will still need to plant it at the correct planting depth. Make sure the soil is packed in firmly around the sides of the plant as well as on top.


Use your toe to firm down the soil. Make sure you hold back the plant so you can see what you're doing and don't shear off any leaves or branches.


This plant has not been covered with enough soil, making it unstable – you can see some of the roots are showing.

Step 7: Water plants

Water plants if you have access to it. An easy way can be to use buckets from the stream.

Step 8: Protect from pests

Where necessary, apply animal repellents immediately before, or at planting time. In pest prone areas, it is also worth using an animal barrier (see pest control section, under Ongoing Maintenance).

This diagram shows the correct way of planting in planting in an average to dry site.

Planting tools

Trenching spades are great for digging holes in tough ground.


Crowbars are good for working out stones.

Marking out plants

After planting is completed, you can mark plants with a bamboo stake to help locate them for later maintenance. Do not tie plants to the stakes as this may damage them as they grow.

Fertiliser

Generally, you do not need to apply fertiliser at the time of planting. However, if you want increased growth rates, incorporate slow release granules with the soil in the planting hole. Make sure the fertiliser does not touch the roots. Remember, you will also get increased weed growth, so effective weed control is a must.

Mulching = less weeding!

Mulching is where a layer of material is placed around the plant. Mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil, reduces weeds growth and helps keep the soil warm.

Caution

• Make sure you don’t mulch naturally wet areas; this will deplete the soil of oxygen.
• It is not practical to use mulch on steep banks and the zones which get flooded.
• Use mulch sparingly on loess soils. Loess soils are dense and when they get wet can stay wet – starving the soil of oxygen: mulching makes this worse.

Organic mulches: use what's available

• Straw
• Cardboard. Make sure you have some way to stop it blowing away. For example, cut up wire and bend into pins to hold it down.
• Fine bark chips (10 cm deep)
• Wool mat or carpet underlay (50-60 cm squares) Wool mat can be expensive, but the cost may be offset by the reduced maintenance costs.
• Avoid weed mat. The soil can't breathe and goes rotten under the weed mat.

Hay and cardboard used as mulch.

Wool mat can be used as mulch.

Checklist:

• Use local knowledge to choose the best time for planting
• Avoid planting just before a frost
• In dry or normal soils, plant deep enough to create a dish around the plant to trap water
• Pack soil firmly around and on top of plants
• Mark slow growing plants
• Mulch to slow weed growth and retain moisture.