Planting construction: planting a tree step by step
- Prepare: clear weeds, check drainage, mark the spot from the plan.
- Dig: hole about 2 times the width of the root ball and as deep as the root ball. Loosen the sides so roots can go out.
- Place: remove the container or wrapping. Set the tree upright with the root flare at ground level.
- Backfill: use the same soil, remove air gaps by gently pressing, do not add too much fertiliser.
- Water and mulch: make a ring of soil, water deeply, spread mulch 5 to 8 cm thick, keeping it away from the trunk.
- Support: a stake and soft tie only for windy places or weak trees; remove it after a year or so.
Best time: start of the rains or the cool season, not in the hottest weeks.
Establishing lawns and ground cover
A good lawn starts below the ground. Prepare the soil: remove stones and weeds, dig and loosen, add compost, level it, and leave a slight slope for drainage.
- Turf (sod): rolls of ready grass are laid like bricks, with joints staggered, pressed down and watered. Quick result but costs more.
- Seed: spread evenly, rake lightly, keep moist. Cheaper but slower and may be patchy.
- Plugs or runners: small pieces of spreading grass planted in a grid; they join up in time.
Ground cover plants are planted in a grid at a spacing close to their spread, so they join up in one or two seasons. Mulch between them keeps weeds away until they close.
Making flower beds
First choose the place: most flowers like sun and drained soil. Mark the shape. Remove weeds. Dig or loosen the soil about 20 to 30 cm deep and mix in compost. Shape the bed so the middle is slightly higher to shed water. Plant in rows or groups, tall at the back, at the right spacing. Water gently after planting and mulch the bare soil. An edge of brick or stone keeps the lawn out of the bed.
Key formulas and definitions
- Hole width = about 2 x root ball width
- Hole depth = about root ball depth (not deeper)
- Root flare at ground level
- Mulch 5 to 8 cm thick, kept off the trunk
- Turf: lay in staggered rows; Seed: spread evenly, keep moist
Worked examples
1. A tree has a root ball 40 cm wide and 30 cm deep. What size hole should you dig?
Width about 2 x 40 = 80 cm, depth about 30 cm (same as the root ball).
2. You planted a tree and later notice the root flare is 10 cm below ground. What is wrong and what do you do?
It was planted too deep. The trunk base may rot and roots lack air. Lift the tree gently and re-set it so the flare is at ground level.
3. A lawn area is 6 m x 5 m. Turf rolls cover 1 square metre each. How many rolls?
Area = 6 x 5 = 30 square metres, so 30 rolls (add a few extra for cutting).
4. A bed is 4 m x 1 m. Marigolds are planted 0.25 m apart in a grid. How many plants?
Area = 4 square metres. Each plant takes 0.25 x 0.25 = 0.0625 square metre. 4 / 0.0625 = 64 plants.
Common mistakes
- Digging the hole too deep and burying the root flare.
- Digging a narrow hole that is only as wide as the pot, so roots circle inside.
- Piling mulch up against the trunk like a volcano. It keeps the bark wet and rots it.
- Laying turf on hard, unlevelled soil, so it dries out and has dips.