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Bare roots v container pot trees

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  • I’m in a new build as well so definitely appreciate what you mean Jenny_Aster, our soil is terrible, full of rubble! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If it suits you @Jenny_Aster - that's all that matters, and yes, new build ground can be very poor. It's beneficial to spend as much time and expense on the soil as it is on the plants   :)

    Yes- your tree will be dormant @Daisypic  :)
    As @Bee witched says - the other advantage of a container is that you don't need to hurry and plant, but bare root stuff can just be heeled in roughly, or stuck in a pot temporarily, if ground's frozen etc. I've done that with hedging many times, and I've also planted trees/shrubs in snow. If the tree suits the climate and conditions you have, it's easier.  ;)  
    Some trees and shrubs are also more forgiving than others too. Again, prepping ground well, before you order your trees is a good idea and gets them off to a good start    :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • @Fairygirl, I’m looking at either buying some Sorbus or Prunus trees so hoping they are forgiving! 🤞🤞🤞
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If the Sorbus are rowans rather than whitebeams - yes, they're quite easy, although they like plenty of watering if it's a drier area you're in,  and most Prunus are pretty easy too. 
    Whitebeams are actually quite easy too  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Fairygirl said:
    If the Sorbus are rowans rather than whitebeams - yes, they're quite easy, although they like plenty of watering if it's a drier area you're in,  and most Prunus are pretty easy too. 
    Whitebeams are actually quite easy too  ;)
    I’m in Wales so we have plenty of rain! 
  • Following on for my original question, what compost should I use to plant the trees, the existing soil is terrible so they will need something decent.  Should it be topsoil, manure compost or multi purpose or something completely different? 
  • Daisypic said:
    Following on for my original question, what compost should I use to plant the trees, the existing soil is terrible so they will need something decent.  Should it be topsoil, manure compost or multi purpose or something completely different? 
    Perfect question for me too... there's been no time to build a good 'full-bodied' compost heap. 


    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    In what way is it terrible?
    Manure is always beneficial - regardless of soil type and conditions.  You can buy it bagged. Mix that with soil from the planting hole that you dig out, or get some now and just put it on the soil.  You can add compost on planting if you want. 

    It's always beneficial to spend time on the planting area. Planting an expensive specimen into less than desirable soil is never a good idea. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Actually what I should I have said @Fairygirl is the area I am planting the trees in is a slight bank which had been built up with a mixture of builders rubble and part soil, so as you say it is important to prepare the planting area to give the trees a good start. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The rowans certainly won't mind. As long as they have water, they're happy. If you see the conditions they grow in, in the wild, you'd see how adaptable they are. They grow on the tops of boulders, and on rocky ledges on hills, and there was one growing out of a fencepost near me a couple of years ago   ;)
    It's always slightly different with planting something that's been grown in a cultivated way and then transplanted though, but a bit of tlc initially with the soil and they should be fine. 
    I moved one last year - twice in fact - and it's fine. I've got one growing in very unhospitable conditions [dropped by a bird] in between the double sided fencing, right by the pavement, and it's doing well too.  They don't need any special treatment - even the cultivated varieties  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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