How to look after new plants which are delivered to you will depend on the type of plants and the time of year. It is essential for all plants in containers, and for all trees and hedges facing their first year in a garden, that their roots are not allowed to dry out. Judging this is not however all that easy. Large plants standing in containers prior to planting may need a lot of water during dry periods in the spring, summer or autumn. If they are from a reputable grower and the compost is of good quality they can be watered at the top of the pot until water starts to come out of the bottom. In very dry weather this may be needed every day but in general will not need to be more frequent. Once planted, watering during the first year, or even two years, will be needed in dry spells.
It is generally easy to spot stress in broad leaved plants – the leaves will start to curl and wilt. For conifers, and evergreens such as Laurels, it may not be so easy to spot these signs and by the time signs of dryness are obvious the plant may be in difficulties. For these plants it is even more vital to keep plants, both in containers and in the ground, well watered. Brown patches on conifers in particular can be difficult or impossible to reverse. Parts of a plant, or even the whole plant, may be permanently lost.
During winter months, especially once the leaves have fallen from deciduous trees, watering problems become less severe. The air is cooler and plants which have lost their leaves lose little moisture. Watering is not generally needed. There can be a problem for evergreens in the coldest months if the containers freeze solid for several days or weeks. This is because evergreen plants can still lose moisture through their leaves in the winter and this needs to be replaced by their roots. Their roots, frozen solid in pots, may be unable to provide this. In the coldest regions it may therefore be useful to find ways to prevent long-term freezing of the pots by moving them to warmer areas or insulating them with bubble wrap or straw.
Plants bought with the intention of planting them out will generally appreciate being planted as quickly after arrival as possible. Weather conditions may not allow this in the first few days. For instance the ground may be frozen solid or waterlogged by rain. Other approaches are needed. Many large hedge and tree plants provided in the winter months are rootballed. This means they have been lifted by machine and their roots have been wrapped in hessian sacking. This gives a ball of roots and soil which can be planted without removing the wrapping. The whole rootball can be planted with the top of the hessian close to ground level. If plants arrive when weather conditions prevent planting they can be left for some time. Plants in rootballs can be left away from drying or freezing winds until a suitable time arrives and, indeed, are sometimes left several weeks in the winter without suffering harm. When a suitable time for planting does arrive it is still important to ensure that planting holes or trenches do not fill with water and that the plants do not rock in the wind. On clay soils especially it is vital not to dig holes which fill with water leaving a plant's roots effectively in a pool. And in the winter, when winds are generally stronger, plants need securing so that they don't rock in the wind, loosening the roots and destroying their intimate contact with the surrounding soil. A solid stake, or a rail attached to sturdy posts, and efficient tying should achieve this.
