Conifers offer your garden a lush and vibrant green backdrop and are the ideal plant for year-round colour in your garden.
Dwarf conifers are a landscaper’s dream as they require little to no maintenance. There is no need for pruning, feeding, protecting and unless we experience a particularly dry spell, they don’t even need watering!
Dwarf conifers are extremely versatile and can be grown in pots. They are the perfect plants to brighten up the entrance to your house. Alternatively, they can be used to fill in gaps in areas of your garden where some greenery is needed.
Planting and caring for dwarf conifers
Ideally, you want to be planting your conifers in March or late October to early November. Essentially, anytime between autumn and early spring- when your soil isn’t too waterlogged or frozen.
Container grown conifers can be planted all year round, except for during very hot and dry weather, unless you are prepared to water regularly.
Root-balled or bare-root conifers are available in late-autumn and winter and you want to be planting these right when you get them.
To encourage the roots of your conifer to spread out, you will need to dig into any compacted areas to loosen the soil.
Ultimately, conifers are easy to plant but to keep them thriving for years to come, ensure you plant them carefully.
Planting in containers
- The first thing you need to consider is the container itself. It will need to be suitable for the conifer to live and grow in for a few years- ideally it will be a little bigger than the pot the conifer came in whilst also being proportionate to the plant.
- You will need to repot your conifers every few years, so it is best to choose a pot with straight interior sides, making it easier to remove the root ball.
- Your best bet is to try out a few pots whilst you’re in store and see which one best suit the plants you’re buying.
Planting into borders or rockeries
- Conifers work best with well drained soil and plenty of moisture. Adding plenty of organic compost is always best as they grow best in slightly acidic soil.
- Prior to planting, soak the root ball in water for roughly about 20 minutes.
- Dig your hole to be about as deep as the root ball/the size of the container you bought the conifer in to fully cover the root system. This is where you should loosen the ground around the hole to promote root growth.
- Refill your hole around the conifer and pat it down to make it compact.
A dwarf slow-growing conifer forming a dense globe-shaped plant with deep green foliage that turns to shades of red and purple in autumn and winter.
All these dwarf conifers like the sun, being moist but well-drained and are happy in acid (ericaceous), alkaline or neutral soil- they are also frost hardy.
