Planting your garden is a lot like falling in love: you have to do it slowly, and you have to be prepared for a lot of heartaches.
But we’re here for you! We’ll walk you through the process step by step so that when you’re done, your garden will be gorgeous and healthy.
First things first: knowing your ground. Soil preparation is often overlooked or misunderstood, but it’s actually one of the most important steps in preparing for planting.
Soil quality varies widely across different areas, and even within your own yard or garden. Soil testing measures will help you identify your soil type, drainage, health and pH. You can identify your soil type by testing it—just take a sample to the local extension office or buy a kit at the hardware store!
Soil is an incredibly complex ecosystem and has a huge impact on how your plants grow—and if they don’t grow properly, they won’t thrive!
Also, preparing your plants for planting is a crucial step in the process. You want to make sure your plant has a good chance of survival, so it’s important that you do everything you can to give it the best start possible.
Next up: tools and checklists! Having everything ready before you start is key to keeping yourself organized and making sure nothing goes wrong!
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Check with owners or management before starting any digging work. You may need permission from them first before digging up any part of their land—and if there are any utility lines buried beneath the surface, they may need to be marked out beforehand so that you don’t accidentally hit one when digging your hole!
- Prepare an area for digging if necessary (you don’t want plants sitting on top of concrete). Move aside mulch or stone where you are wanting to plant.
The results will also tell you whether or not additional amendments are needed. If so, you’ll know exactly which products to use and how much of each product to apply.
Also, check with them about any risks with services such as gas pipes or electricity cables; these may need protection using protective barriers such as plastic sheeting or wooden stakes driven into the ground around them.
Begin digging your hole, this should be approximately double the size of your plant.
Add fertiliser or any material to the soil if necessary. Mix in with surrounding dirt.
Ensure plants are well watered on the day of planting. This enables the plants more resilient and lowers the chances of root shock. Check the depth of your hole and height of the plant by placing inside, and using your hand to check the level of the stem or trunk with the ground You want to make sure the plant is level or slightly higher than the ground.
Squeeze the pot to help free up the plant and give a gentle pull. If stuck use a sharp knife to free the roots. Tidy the pant of any dead leaves and scrape away any weeds into the bottom of your prepared hole.

If using fertiliser tabs, insert one approximately 5 cm below ground.
After you’ve filled up around the base of your plant with good soil, remove any excess soil from directly around its trunk and press down firmly with your hands—this will help stabilize things further and keep moisture from pooling up around its base when you water it later on!
Next, you need to make sure that your tree doesn’t get too much sun right away—it needs some time to adjust and get used to its new surroundings before being thrown into the spotlight. So plant it where it can grow and thrive in the shade for at least 6 months before moving it into the sun.
Finally, be sure to water your new plant well after planting—this will help settle its roots down into the soil and make them happy about its new life!

Here is your tools checklist:
- Digging spade
- Through
- Wheelbarrow
- Secators and knife
- Fertiliser or organic additives
- Access to water
We hope this is helpful. Let us know how you go and get in touch if you need a trusty hand.
You can get in touch with us at nigel@sustainablescapes.co.nz or call us on 02040914516.