Size and Planting Guide

Planting - General Advice
If you do not plant your plants on receipt, don't panic. They are well wrapped and can be left in their packaging in a cool frost free place for at least a week. If they are going to be hanging about for a while you might want to "heel them in" - i.e. leave them tied up but without their packaging, and pop them into a temporary hole. Make sure the earth is well tamped down around the roots when replacing it.
Planting distances are typically 2 metres for broadleaf woodland. To make a stockproof hedge, whips must be planted at 4 or 5 plants per metre in a staggered double row.
A small percentage of bare root plants will fail, but this can be considerably reduced by making sure the roots do not dry out while planting. If possible chose a frost and wind free damp day, and keep the plants in a bucket of water while planting out.
Once planted, keep the base of the plants clear of weeds to at least a 3 foot diameter. This can be done with weed killer or a mulch - grass cuttings, for example.

One of our suppliers has a comprehensive video guide to hedge planting which we recommend, and we've written a blog on it too. Click the links to find more about the history of hedges, and on hedge laying and maintenance in our resources section.

Planting Fruit Trees
We recommend Thornhayes Nursery's guide to planting and caring for fruit trees, which also includes tips on pruning.
Don't plant fruit trees too close together; orchard trees on the rootstocks we sell should be 6-8 metres apart.
The plants should be planted in holes large enough to take them comfortably; for maiden size trees they won't be huge. Don't dig them beforehand as they'll only fill up with water, and don't put any compost or manure in the holes. You can use mycorrhizal fungi or just a handful of old-fashioned bonemeal if you like, to help them on their way.
The plants should be planted with their graft unions - which are clearly visible - a little above ground level. Otherwise the scion variety will make its own roots.
The maiden trees will NOT REQUIRE STAKING. They are small plants on a vigorous rootstock and will quickly establish strong healthy root systems. Spiral guards are useful to prevent strimmer as well as rabbit damage, and should be supported with a cane.

Fruit Tree Sizes
All of the rootstocks we use for fruit trees are tolerant of a wide range of conditions, and are typically the most vigorous we can find, usually producing standard as opposed to bush trees. They are typically supplied as maidens - 1 year old plants.

Rootstock
Tree Types
Mature Size
M25
M106 (or "MM106")
Quince A
Colt
St. Julian A
Brompton
Myrobalan B
Pyrus Communis
Malus Sylvestris
Avium
Apples
Apples
Quinces
Cherries
Plums
Plums, Gages
Plums, Damsons
Pears
Crab Apples
Cherries
Standard (over 4.5m)
Bush Tree (3 - 4m)
Bush Tree (3.5 - 4.5m)
Bush Tree (3.5 - 4.5m)
Bush Tree (3 - 4m)
Standard (over 4m)
Standard (over 4.5m)
Standard (over 6m)
Standard (over 6m)
Standard (over 6m)


Standard Sizes
We do however, offer many native trees as standards, which are generally free of side branches to at least 1 metre, at which level their girth is measured in cm. As an example, an 8/10 standard has a circumference of between 8 and 10cms measured 1 metre up from the level of the soil when planted. As even trees of the same variety grow at different rates, but as a rule of thumb the majority of standard trees are their size or a little more in feet. So an 8/10 standard is generally between 8 to 11 feet tall. Usually our standards are bigger rather than smaller - an 8/10 is more likely to be 10-11 feet than 8-9 feet tall. Take particular care when planting specimen and ornamental trees. All standard trees need a strong stake and a tree tie (2 for 10/12 standards) to prevent wind rock. You might want to buy a tree planting pack with your tree.



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