[kindredspirit]

i.e. when digging a hole to plant your newly acquired tree, bush, shrub, whatever; should you make the hole round or square?

The "current thinking" is that it should be square to avoid the roots curling around and around in a round hole. In a square hole they're apparently meant to arrive eventually in one corner and then they have to carry straight on.

I don't know. I've never thought about it before.

What do you think?

Also when you take a plant out of its pot to plant it, should you tease the roots out wider or just plonk it in as it is?

I planted a palm a few months ago and as I'd heard about how palms "sulk" for a year or two after they're planted, I just removed the pot and stuck the plant, as it was, straight into the hole. Lo and behold, there's a load of new stuff growing up out of the centre now: so mine didn't "sulk"!

I was also once told that when you move a plant, move it in such a way that it doesn't know it's been moved. I always try to do that.

What does the committee think?

[artalis]

Hey kindredspirit,

Round or square, seems like an odd sort of debate, but maybe I am not in the know about such " current ideas."

Gardening advice from books etc generlly advise to dig a hole ( Is it twice the depth and size roughly of the potted plant.?Can't remember that detail off hand but will find out )and break up the soil within it so that there is no compaction of soil around the sides of the hole. If the soil is compacted so that the bottom of the hole or sides are a solid wall/floor then the plant will become rootbound within the new hole as if it was still in a pot. Adding a little bit of compost to the hole can help the roots of new plants to settle.

In my experience plant roots are pretty tough and can take a fair bit of teasing or disturbance as long as you are sensitive as to when to plant, move or divide specific plant types.

Perhaps your palm has tough woody roots? Tough roots are strong enough to push through friable soil at any rate.

artalis


According to the links here a very wide, shallower hole is good.

Here's a how to link all about digging a hole, lol.

http://www.dannylipford.com/how-to-plant-container-grown-shrubs/

and another one,lol

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Landscape-Gardening---How-To-Dig-A-Hole/1030000

[kindredspirit]

The second link advocates a square or otherwise shaped hole and recommends not to dig a round one.

There's obviously more to holes than you think!

[Sive]

My better half prefers square planting holes for trees in lawns....easier to mow !

[artalis]

Hi folks,