Newly dug border... Plant up now or wait?

CraighB

Hi guys,

I am in the process of doing my mum's garden for her and it has never been done before. I have been double digging and have took tons of bricks and rubble out that was all underneath the soil. I have put soil conditioner at the bottom of each trench and then filled it with the soil from the next one. Some of it was very sticky wet clay.

Obviously doing this now means the soil level is quite high, so should I put planting on hold until next spring to let the soil settle?

Dovefromabove

I would let the winter frosts break down lumps and clods and in the spring you
should have a nice friable tilth ready to plant into. 

Well done for helping your mum out and taking so much trouble to get it right  👍 

Hostafan1

Ditto to @Dovefromabove

Fairygirl

Ditto from me too @CraighB. If you have any spare spent compost and  anything else like leaf mould or rotted manure, stick that in as well.

You need it nice and healthy for that new Hydrangea too 

CraighB

Thanks @Dovefromabove @Hostafan1 @Fairygirl

Oh my back hurts today. It really really hurts lol I did 5 hours straight digging and didn't take a break which is a bit silly really but I am paying the price now  I've only dug one side of the garden and I still have the other side to do!

But as you all said, I will wait until next spring now before I start planting in it.

And yes @Fairygirl I definately want to make sure the hydrangea does well

One thing that confused me by watching gardeners world on Friday night is Monty said not to add any manure or garden compost to the planting hole of a shrub or the roots won't venture out... But on most of the websites which give advice about planting hydrangeas it says to add plenty of organic matter because they love moisture. So not too sure what to do?

Fairygirl

They seem to chop and change their mind about that all the time @CraighB.
Under perfect conditions, soil wise, and with a healthy, beautifully grown potted plant that isn't root bound or similar, I can see that being absolutely fine.

I have a couple of raised beds where I can do that no problem, but I rarely plant anything without a bit of compost added at  planting time. However, I usually mix it with the soil from the planting hole. 

CraighB

That's what I may do @Fairygirl. I will add it to the planting hole but mix it all up with the surrounding soil and that way the soil should stay moist

Hostafan1

I'd also save your back by NOT double digging. 
Another oft repeated mantra but I've never seen any evidence or a blind trial to show it's actually any better than single.
IMHO  if you're pulling up sticky clay, I'd say you're going too deep.

Lyn

I dug borders and beds from scratch a few years ago, didn’t double dig though. Just pile on mulch, leaf mould anything you can. I do agree with Monty, I don’t put stuff down the hole, plants in, mulch on top and I did use chicken pellets at the start. Most of our beds were dug with a pick axe, got enough rocks out to make a dry stone.

Hostafan1

@Lyn, MD was still chucking stuff into holes less than a year ago. 

Lyn

I don’t know, I haven’t watched it since it went over to an hour, and none of this years at all.  It was just Craig saying it that made me respond.