How to Get Your Newly Bought Plants in the Ground

Planting Tips

The plants were so beautiful and you just simply couldn't resist. You have a ton of exciting ideas on how your gardens will look, and hopefully you paid attention to what kind of light each plant needs, so that you know where to plant them in your yard.

Some plants flourish in direct sunlight while others prefer mostly shade, so it's important to read the specifics of each plant on which you spent your hard-earned money. You don't want them to wither and die after you had so much fun burying them.

You have them home and you're ready to plant them, but how do you safely get them from their potato resting happily in the ground? Preparation add loam or topsoil, and moisten it. If your plants require a special chemistry, such as more alkaline soil, you'll need to check that as well. Any plant and garden stores in Dubai. will most likely also have soil testers for sale and products to change the chemistry of your soil.

Lime is used to increase the alkalinity of your soil. If you need to make the soil more acidic, you can mix leaves or pine needles into it.

Digging the Hole

Once you've chosen the perfect location for your plant, keeping in mind it's light and soil needs, you'li need to dig its new home.

The hole needs to be slightly larger in diameter than the plant's pot and deeper, so that you can place good quality soil under, around, and over the plant roots. This will provide a good start for the roots as they begin to grow and spread out from their root ball.

Before quality plant-soil at the bottom.

Seating the Plant

Removing the plant from the container can sometimes be a tricky business. The plant itself may be tender, so grabbing and pulling might just yield you a stalk with no roots. Also, many potted plants will have become root bound, which means their roots have grown more than the space allowed and may have grown through the bottom of the container.

Usually, squeezing the container (if it's small) will loosen the dirt and root ball from the sides, or knocking it gently on the sides and bottom can loosen the plant, roots, and dirt from the pot. Sometimes if the roots have grown through the bottom, you may need to looser those by cutting or prying them off the container.

The important part of removing a plant from its pot is to be as gentle as possible to both the leafy part and the root ball. This transplantation will be traumatic enough without damage on the way out of the pot!

Once you have your plant free of the container, it's often recommended to squeeze the root ball gently stimulate new growth. How much squeezing depends on the size and hardiness of the roots. A small plug with fine roots will obviously not need a squeeze, which would do more damage than good, while a large bush or tree may even need their root ball scored with a sharp instrument.

Place the plant in the hole you've dug, making sure that the root ball is below ground level. You'll want to place some good quality soil over the top of the root system, plus you'll need a depression to hold water, so judge your depth accordingly.

Once the plant is in and you're pleased with how it's seated (not crooked or the bare side in view), gently pack plant-soil around the edges to fill the hole and over the top of the root ball.

Be careful not to bury too much of your plant while doing this Just make sure you have a good layer of new dirt over the roots without covering the green or woody stem of the plant stalk. Tamp down the dirt over the root ball and around the plant so that you have a depression surrounding your new purchase.

Water, Mulch, & Fertilizer

Once your plant is in the ground, you'll need to water it well so that the entire root ball and surrounding dirt is moist. Most plants will also appreciate a cover of mulch to keep the soil moist and roots cool, but check the plant specifications to be sure. If you need professional experts help, you could use our directory to find gardening and landscaping companies in Dubai.

Some people will fertilize right away, but most plants have been heavily fertilized at the greenhouse, so this immediate dose of fertilizer may in fact burn out your new plant.

Wait at least a month to let the plant settle into its new home before giving it any fertilizer. Follow Up Care It's important to keep your plant moist during the first couple of weeks, to encourage root growth.