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Planting a holly bush
Rekusu
Posts: 125
What ho one and all,
My wife has bought a holly bush off the internet. She thought she was buying a reasonably manageable size bush but that is not the case.
What has turned up, is obviously one that the nursery did not want since it is larger than she ordered. From the base of the rootball (in a plastic tub) to the top is closer to 3m. The plastic tub is 70cms diameter and 50cms deep; consequently, it is b***dy heavy!
We have managed to get it to where she wants it planted; we have dug the hole, but ....................!
Cutting the plastic tub will be sufficient of a challenge, then there will be nothing to hold.
So how the h**l do we get in into the hole?
Toodle pip and thanks
Rex
0
Posts
With great difficulty is the answer Rex....
You could try planting it with the container intact, but cut away enough that you could remove it once it's in the hole. If you cut the bottom off first, you'll only have the sides to remove and that might be sufficient to shift it.
Otherwise, sturdy gauntlets all round!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Send for the old blokes in "last of the summer wine" They could make an entire programme out of it. LOL
Pansyface,
I don't know if it is the tree she wants but she did the research so who am I to question? She has the very green fingers, I just provide the funding and grunt work!
Fairygirl,
Have been thinking about your suggestion and I think that may be the way to go. If I put a strop through the handles, maybe a couple of the neighbours (at least four of us) would be able to lift it, remove the boards and lower into the hole before cutting the sides away.
It sounds good in theory, but the proof of the pudding .....................
Think I will slide the tree to the edge of the hole and turn it on its side. Cut off the base, slice open the sides of the plastic pot and with some neighbourly assistance, ease it to the vertical and hopefully, the rootball will 'slide' on the plastic pot, into the hole.
The alternative, which the gardener suggested; fill the hole with ice, position the tree on the ice over the middle of the hole and wit for the ice to melt!
Toodle pip
Just remember that a shrub of that size will establish less well, Rex. It may shed a fair bit over the next few weeks. Make sure it's well hydrated and mulched
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks; I just assume that the gardener knows what she is doing?
She does have very green fingers, so hopefully, all will be OK. The hole will be larger than necessary, pre-watered overnight to allow it to soak in, and once in place, there will be lots of good compost, leaf-mould, etc mixed with the soil before filling in. Will also install a couple of pipes for deep root watering.
The bush looks in good condition so see no reason to be concerned.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Did what I planned, cutting off the base, turned on side and cut the pot, then eased upright and it slid into the hole perfectly. In fact, it could not have worked better.
Hardest part was digging the hole, not only because of the patches of clay about two feet down, but mainly because when the original house was built around 1960, the builders use the front garden as a rubble depository. About one foot under the top soil, bricks, tiles, lumps of concrete. It all make the digging a regular PIA!
Now have a few sacks of 'builders' rubble that the local dump will charge £5 per bag to dispose.