Putting down shrubs

junii

Hello, when is the proper time of the year to put down shrubs. We will need to get a gardener to put them down for us but I want to know when the right time to call him is. Also, how much do shrubs cost and how much is a gardener?

Are you better using peat or moss underneath them?

Cheers.

GreeBo

You should only put down shrubs if they are sick and in pain..shrubs are for life, not just for Christmas.


On another note, the how and the where depends on the shrub.
The label should tell you about shade etc and also the name of the shrub.
You should look it up on the old interweb to see if it has any special needs, for example heathers like ericaceous compost and wont do well in clay.

You should be fine putting them down yourself...to be honest unless you do something thats obviously wrong (like bed it in with cement or break it in half you wont kill it, just might stunt it for a season or so)
You will end up paying some bloke a fiar amount of cash to basically dig a hole and fill it up again.
Do a google, nowadays everything is covered in detail and unless you are totally inept or cant follow instructions you will be grand.

slave1

Try and plant at different times of the year and plant what's flowering at that time, then you will have colour throughout the year
Expect some shrubs to die, it happens no matter what you do

GreeBo

Well you shouldnt really be moving or replanting anything that is flowering...its too stressful.
Most shrubs will have a label on them telling you when to plant and when it will flower...

AdrianR

You should only put down shrubs if they are sick and in pain..shrubs are for life, not just for Christmas.

Get your coat!:p

Sonnenblumen

Ideal planting time is early Autumn, ground is moist and some heat still present which allow new shrubs to settle down quickly before onset of Winter. However it is obvious that shrubs are planted all year round but shrub (small v mature) size, variety, soil conditions and site characteristics will all influence the extent of attention required and consequently the success rate if planting is done for example during Summer months.

With careful planning (selecting the shrubs to suit soil and site conditions) and even reasonable ground preparation should ensure good end results.

Transplanting is best done during the dormant season (October-March) especially for deciduous (little or no Winter foliage) shrubs or early Spring before new growth begins.

It would not be advisable to transplant any flowering shrub especially during the summer months, most likely to cause severe stress and set back shrub from which it is unlikely to recover. Best wait until flowering period has elapsed.

Good ground preparation is the key, dig the hole plenty big at least double the size of the rootball, mix in some soil conditioner and/or compost (avoid peat moss) with some slow release fertiliser pellets (natural best). I also find Fish Bone and Blood gives excellent results but there are several to choose from. New shrubs should be heeled in well to secure (very important in order to prevent any rootball movement/wind rock which will be fatal) after planting and water well.

Prices vary enormously, size, variety (and point of purchase) all bearing heavily on price. Best to go to Nursery (some allow Public/Retail customers, others usually clearly stipulated are Trade only) or the local Garden Centre.
Garden Shows/Fetes can also be a good source for quality plants at keen prices.

Not surprising it usually pays to shop around. Better to finalise your plant list before spending shoe leather.

Sonnenblumen.

Archeron

As Sonnenblunen says, really shop around. I'm new to garden related things, but I've found that the difference in price can be shocking.

Items that I've paid €40 or €50 for in garden centres have cost me as little as €7 or €8 in smaller garden centres that dont have the big fancy retail shops.

Beruthiel

junii wrote:

when is the proper time of the year to put down shrubs.

Late spring and autumn are the best time, but if you plant now they will be fine. Never plant in winter.
When I moved into my new house last june I planted everything at that time, most are thriving with the exception of one or two plants. As someone else said, you will always get one that doesn't like where you put it.

We will need to get a gardener to put them down for us

Why? Is it because you don't want to or think you can't?
It's great fun planting you own, just dig a hole that's a few inches wider and deeper than the pot, get a good compost and some organic plant food, mix the food into the peat and drop in hole. Water well after planting.

Also, how much do shrubs cost

They vary depending on what you get. I have spent anything from €7 to €24 on a plant. The shrubs in my garden probably adverage around €10.
Be absolutey sure you read the label on each one before you buy. Some plants like sun, some prefer shade, some don't like limey soil etc.
Most importantly, don't buy a cute little shrub if it's going to be 15 feet high in 10 years. Do out a little plan of your garden and decide what height and width you'd like in a particular area before buying. Leave a good space between each plant so they have room to grow.
Most garden centres have people willing to help and advise you so don't be afraid to ask, that's what they are there for.

slave1

Let me amplify my original post, I assumed the OP was talking about planting shrubs from a pot, not transplanting, hence I'm of the opinion you can plant these shrubs when they are flowering, I do so always without issue.
A little routine that I go through is to have a bucket of miracle grow/water for sitting the shrubs into just prior to planting, this gives them a little "start", also for the first year water a good bit until the roots establish themselves.
As I've a reasonably big garden I generally plant about a dozen evergreen/low maintenance shrubs a year, being doing so for about 5/6 years and will be complete next year, now I know from experience what grows/look nice etc
Don't be afraid and you do not have to tackle all at once

junii

Cheers for the advice. The only thing Im really worried about and this is why I was going to get a gardener is the creative aspect of it. Im just worried ill mess up laying them out, matching colours etc. and it will look ****.

Irish Gardener

Hi, junii.
I suggest if you have even an ounce of creativity in you, that you give this gardening lark a go.:)
If you are worried about laying the plants out as regards to sizes and spreads follow this trick....
Find out the spread of plant (A), then the spread of plant (B) and divide by two to get your spacing of plants.
eg plant (A) spread 2 metres + plant (B) spread 3 metres, divide by 2 = a spacing of 2.5 mtres.
This is a rough rule of thumb, plus you must be aware of the plants eventual heights as well.

As for matching colours, well thats a matter of your personal choice.
Its your garden, you will have to look at (and enjoy) it everyday .
If Alan Titchmarsh said red and pink looked well planted together, half of England would fill their beds and borders with those combined colours.
That doesn't make it true, theres a lot of emperors new clothes goes on in gardening fashion.
If you are truly worried about colour clashes, why not go for a cottage garden style of planting scheme.
Any colour goes in this style and colour clashes are allowed.
That is provided your house is not too modern for this style.
hope this helps.