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Time taken to plant something

PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
in The potting shed
 Out of interest how long does it take you to plant something?
I have just planted out 2 Eryngium which I grew from seed. (agavifolium and planifolium). It has taken me a good half hour per plant. Planting requires a sharp lawn edging tool to cut through the surface fibrous roots, a very heavy wrecking bar to excavate the 'soil', a pair of loppers to cut thicker tree roots, a bucket of wet manure, a pack of water retaining gel, a handful of mixed fertilisers(bonemeal, growmore and chicken pellets) and a trowel to back fill the hole. Plus gloves,watering can of water and another bucket to collect up the rubbish which comes out of the hole (broken crockery, scrap metal etc.)
Great fun.
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Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited August 2020
    If I can reach the planting hole, about two minutes. It's a bit more involved if I need to reach out into the middle of a bed already full of plants I don't want to crush, usually involving some contortionism and a resulting bad back.

    Great plants by the way, how long did it take from seed?
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited August 2020
    Definitely less than five minutes.
    Dig a hole. 
    Test for size
    Dig some more - it's never deep enough
    Fill hole with water
    Sprinkle slow release
    Plonk plant in
    Fill in hole
    Tamp down
    Water
    Job done!

    If the soil needs hacking,it's too dry so I wait until it isn't.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited August 2020
    Depends. If it's a big plant in a rooty area that I haven't cultivated before, it's pretty much as @Palustris describes. Something smaller in the front of the border, only a few minutes. Anything in between is possible depending on size of plant, location and whether it' s a long term planting that warrants a bit more effort adding compost and fertiliser.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    edited August 2020
    The Eryngium seeds were sown about sometime in the last 18 months as I sowed them after we moved here and we have been here for that length of time. The plants are now about 15 inches tall.
    The soil here is always dry even after a deluge. The trees all round us (with TPO's on them) take out any which gets to the ground through the canopy.
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    1-2 minutes for a 9cm plant, 2-3 minutes for a 2l plant and 40-50 minutes for a rose or something that needs similarly big hole. The top layer of my sandy soil (amended, in borders) is very lightweight and fluffy, easy to plant in. The lower layers are compacted and stony, acting almost like self-binding gravel with many huge stones in it.
  • DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
    @edhelka at risk of hijacking this thread, do you have any tips for improving/planting in that type of soil? Sounds very familiar! Lots of slate-type stone in the compacted lower layers
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    @Devonian The upper layer in borders is approx. spade deep, good enough for perennials. The previous owner of the garden has done quite a good job and I continue to add manure and compost as mulch every year.
    When I need to dig deeper, I dig deep and wide, remove all big stones and mix the soil with compost, composted manure and sometimes also topsoil. I think manure is the best amendment here.
  • DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
    Thanks! 
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    edited August 2020
    All you can do is to get more humus in the soil, either by digging it in or by mulching on top. Stones I remove as I plant and they get put on the Gravel garden. Saves having to go to the Recycling place with a heavy car load. Obviously unnatural material goes to the tip (bricks, crockery, scrap metal etc.).
    At least here we are not digging up batteries of all ages as we were in our previous garden.
    Just planted 10 primulas out. Took about the same length of time as the two this morning. Difference? Putting them in soil I cleaned out when building a path up the hedge.
  • islandanchoressislandanchoress Posts: 238
    I have never counted. As long as it takes, and the clock stops when I am gardening/planting etc.  
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