For evergreen trees, a planting hole should be dug roughly double the size of its root ball. It is important that the soil in the bottom of the planting hole is well loosened so that no waterlogging can occur around the roots of the plant. Before conifers in plant containers can be planted into your garden, their root ball must be placed in a bucket of water for approximately ten minutes or until there are no air bubbles rising from the root ball. This process hydrates the tree before you plant it into the freshly dug hole. Put the tree in the ground and backfill the hole with soil and gently press down with your feet. After planting, the growth period takes approximately three months, or longer in hot summer weather. During this phase, it is particularly important to supply the plant with sufficient water, so that it can develop roots well in its new location. Adapt the amount of water you give the plant to the weather conditions.
With its beautiful blossoms, the Mediterranean, evergreen magnolia is a true highlight in a garden. The prerequisite for this is that you protect it sufficiently in winter. The photinia and the cherry laurel, too, provide accentuations in your garden all year round with their evergreen leaves. So that the evergreen trees are able to develop their splendour in full, they require sufficient nutrients which are added to the ground through fertiliser. Soil which is rich in humus and permeable provides suitable growth prerequisites for evergreens. It is also important that the plants stand in a sunny location, where they remain protected from strong winds. Evergreens in pots should be watered on frost-free days in winter. The evergreens which are planted into the ground should be given an extra water ration in late autumn so that they can “fuel up” prior to the start of winter. In adverse conditions, apply a gardener’s non-woven cover to protect against the elements. The trunks of evergreen magnolias, which are sensitive to frost, can also be protected against frost cracks by painting them with tree lime.
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