Spring is a great time to bring your garden to life, and a little preparation during the cooler months can set you up for success. In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about planting and maintaining a healthy, thriving garden.
Take some time before planting to decide what you want to achieve. Proper planning is key, whether you are planting trees for spring blossoms, year-round greenery, or attracting wildlife. Different trees and plants serve different purposes, so understanding your vision will help you to select the right plants for your garden. Here are some popular choices to match your goals:
Spring blossoms: Ornamental cherries, Crab apples or Amelanchiers.
Year-round foliage: Evergreens like Photinia Red Robin or Laurels.
Wildlife attraction: Hawthorn or rowan trees.
Winter interest: Birch trees or other trees with striking bark.
Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving garden. Start by loosening the soil in your planting area and adding organic matter such as multipurpose compost or well-rotted manure. This enriches the soil with nutrients while preventing compaction, giving your plants the best possible start.
Once you have planted your tree, proper support is essential to help it establish strong roots. Depending on your garden’s conditions and the size of your tree, choose one of the following staking methods:
Sheltered locations: A single stake will usually suffice.
Exposed areas or larger trees: Use two stakes for added stability.
All of our planting kits include a rubber buckle tie, this will help you to ensure that the stakes are securely tied to provide support without damaging the trunk. Check out our guide below…
1. Watering: Establishing a regular watering schedule is crucial during the first few growing seasons:
During the growing season: Start by giving the trees 5 litres of water every second day, directing the water to the base of the trunk. This 5 Litres is a good starting point/guide to make sure that the soil stays moist, if the soil starts to become saturated or dry adjust the amount as required.
During dormancy period (November-March): Pause watering as the ground should be moist enough, just check it over any extended dry periods. Resume regular watering in early spring.
Are you going on holiday or have other commitments that make sticking to the watering schedule difficult? If so, we can supply our King & Co Tree Watering Bags. These bags are an easy to install watering aid that slowly deliver water to the roots and allow more of the water to be absorbed deeper into the soil to promote root establishment.
2. Pruning: Pruning encourages healthy growth and keeps your trees looking their best. You can usually trim trees twice a year:
After flowering (late spring/early summer): Help the trees to thicken and grow more branches.
Early September: Tidies up the plant to create a nice, even shape for new growth in spring.
3. Weeding & Mulching
Keep a 1m weed-free circle around the base of each tree to minimize competition for nutrients and moisture. To further protect your trees, you can apply a thin layer of mulch around the base. Mulch helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, and regulate soil temperatures. Just avoid piling mulch against the trunk as this can trap moisture and lead to rot.
Creating a thriving garden takes time, effort, and careful planning, but the results are well worth it. By defining your goals, preparing your soil, and following a consistent care routine, you will set your garden up for success and enjoy its beauty throughout the seasons.
Get started today and watch your garden flourish into a vibrant, thriving haven!
Bare root trees can be planted from November to March. Container grown trees can be planted all year round. Watch our video guide on how to do so.
As a guide, we recommend giving each tree 5 litres of water every other day during the growing season. The water should be directed at the base of the trunk.
5 Litres is a good starting point to make sure that the ground stays moist, if the soil starts to become saturated or dry adjust the amount as required.
We can offer our planting service if you are local to the nursery. Planting prices are dependent on the size of the pot. Please contact us if you would like a quote.
Fruit trees are an excellent choice for gardeners who want to grow delicious fruit whilst supporting wildlife and adding seasonal beauty to their garden. From the months of November to March, we stock a range of bare root fruit trees that are lifted while dormant and sold without soil around their roots. Once the dormancy period, we pot on any of our left of bare root stock so that they can develop roots before they are planted. This container grown stock is usually available around June once the roots have had time to settle.
At King & Co we offer a variety of Apples, Cherries, Pears and Plums. If you want to grow your own fruit and transform your garden, have a look at our guide on some of our best-loved fruit trees…
Apple Trees are a popular choice for new and experienced gardens as they are versatile and easy to grow. All the apples we supply are grown on MM106 rootstocks to produce strong trees, that reach a mature height of 5-6m and a mature spread of 4-5m. Some of our favourite varieties include…
• Bramley: A classic cooking apple, perfect for pies and sauces.
• Cox: Known for its aromatic, sweet-tart flavour.
• James Grieve: Great for eating fresh or cooking, with a tangy flavour.
Cherry Trees are a rewarding addition any garden owing to their delicious fruits, beautiful blossoms and attraction to wildlife. Grown on Colt rootstocks to produce strong, healthy trees that reach mature heights of 5-6m, our favourite cherries are…
• Morello: A tart cherry ideal for cooking and preserves.
• Stella: A sweet, self-fertile variety perfect for snacking.
• Sunburst: Known for its large, juicy, and sweet cherries.
Pear Trees are low maintenance fruit trees with attractive spring blossoms and colourful autumn foliage. Grown on a Quince A rootstock our pear trees will reach a mature height of 5-6m. Our two favourite varieties are…
• Comice: A sweet, juicy pear ideal for desserts and fresh eating.
• Conference: A reliable variety with crisp, aromatic fruit.
Plum Trees are great for those who want to add beauty to their garden whilst enjoy the delicious, versatile fruits that are produced. A must-have for any garden, the Victoria Plum produces sweet, juicy fruit that is perfect for eating fresh, making jams, or baking into desserts. Grown on a St Julien A rootstock, Victoria plum reaches a mature height of 4-6m.
In short, planting Apple, Cherry, Pear and Plum trees is an excellent and rewarding way to enhance your garden while enjoying fresh, home-grown produce. Follow these tips to achieve healthy harvests…
Pollination. Some fruit trees, like cherries and apples, benefit from cross-pollination. Plant compatible varieties nearby to ensure a larger harvest.
Thinning Fruit. Remove some developing fruit to prevent overloading the tree, which can lead to smaller fruit or weakened branches.
Harvest Timing. Apples like Cox and Braeburn are best picked when firm and fragrant, Pears such as Comice and Conference should be harvested slightly underripe and ripened indoors and Victoria plums are ready when they have deep purple skin and feel slightly soft.
During the first year of planting, it is also recommended to remove any fruit from the trees. Doing this will help to promote root development, as it helps the tree to focus its energy on establishing strong roots rather than producing fruit.
Bare root trees can be planted from November to March. Container grown trees can be planted all year round. Watch our video guide on how to do so.
As a guide, we recommend giving each tree 5 litres of water every other day during the growing season. The water should be directed at the base of the trunk.
5 Litres is a good starting point to make sure that the ground stays moist, if the soil starts to become saturated or dry adjust the amount as required.
We can offer our planting service if you are local to the nursery. Planting prices are dependent on the size of the pot. Please contact us if you would like a quote.
What are Pleached trees? Pleached trees have a clear stem and branches trained onto a flat framework. Known for their instant screening effect, they are often planted to create a raised hedge above the fence line.
Year-round Privacy – All of our pleached trees will hold onto their leaves throughout the winter months to provide year round coverage (even Hornbeam holds onto its crispy brown leaves).
Saving Space – With branches tied onto the supporting frame, pleached trees are an excellent option for smaller gardens or tight spaces.
Architectural Planting – Pleached trees are great for adding structure to gardens and perfect for contemporary gardens where a more formal shape is preferred.
Choose the right trees for your garden and needs. If you are looking for year round coverage, then you could consider an evergreen like Photinia Red Robin on Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). If natural light in the winter months is important, then a deciduous variety like Hornbeam may be better. Although Hornbeam are deciduous they hold onto their brown leaves long through the winter, this allows light to pass through the branches whilst maintaining some coverage.
Measure the area that needs to be screened. Measuring before planting means that you can space the trees out evenly along your boundary to create a seamless, uninterrupted screen. Pleached trees are typically spaced 1.2-1.5m apart, depending on the size of their frame.
Get all the equipment needed for planting. Pleached trees need to be staked and tied throughout the early stages of establishment. Watch our video guide on how to professionally plant and stake your tree!
Container grown trees can be planted all year round. Watch our video guide on how to do so.
As a guide, we recommend giving each tree 5 litres of water every other day during the growing season. The water should be directed at the base of the trunk.
5 Litres is a good starting point to make sure that the ground stays moist, if the soil starts to become saturated or dry adjust the amount as required.
We can offer our planting service if you are local to the nursery. Planting prices are dependent on the size of the pot. Please contact us if you would like a quote.
Ideal for natural screening in overlooked gardens, Ilex castaneifolia (Chestnut Leaf holly) is an evergreen tree with dense foliage. The key features of this Holly tree are its…
1. Foliage. Ilex castaneifolia has serrated, chestnut-like leaves. These glossy leaves are unusually large for a holly and resemble Sweet chestnut (hence the name). This dense foliage provides offers a natural solution to privacy by providing gardens with year round coverage.
2. Versatility. The dense, pyramidal crown of the Chestnut Leaf holly means that it can be used as a specimen or screen in any sized garden.
3. Growth rate and maintenance. Reaching an eventual height of around 8m+/-, Ilex castaneifolia has a moderate growth which means that it is low maintenance and easy to manage.
4. Hardiness. The Chestnut Leaf holly is a hardy tree that tolerates all but waterlogged soils.
Container grown trees can be planted all year round. Watch our video guide on how to do so.
As a guide, we recommend giving each tree 5 litres of water every other day during the growing season. The water should be directed at the base of the trunk.
5 Litres is a good starting point to make sure that the ground stays moist, if the soil starts to become saturated or dry adjust the amount as required.
We can offer our planting service if you are local to the nursery. Planting prices are dependent on the size of the pot. Please contact us if you would like a quote.
The documentary is aimed to help open the eyes of the many steps involved in the plant trade where plant health is concerned and the professionalism behind it. King and Co are Plant Healthy and UKISG assured in addition to being members of the HTA.
Recordings took place at docks, ports, BCPs, Defra diagnostic lab in York and King and Co to show the steps to keep the UK safe from plant pests and diseases.
King and Co adhere to a voluntary Plant Healthy standard to ensure best practices are in place. The Plant Healthy standard promotes plant health risk analysis where suppliers and plant handling is concerned. King and Co visit suppliers and tag stock on a regular basis, constantly evaluating the health of stock and growing methods.
The risk of Xylella fastidiosa to the UK is the reason King and Co do not sell Olive trees, which can pose a dangerous threat to trees and plants across the country.
It is important to evaluate the health of trees, plants, growing media, nursery soil and chemical application programme before it enters our own Nursery site. The small percentage of stock (which is imported) is also inspected at inland Border Control Points to again check its health.
King and Co’s Plant Healthy trained staff inspect each tree and plant upon its arrival at the Nursery in its designated quarantine area as another line of defence to Nursery stock. The trees and plants at this point have been checked thoroughly several times. It is only at this point the stock can be released onto the site.
The new stock will now be checked daily in line with King and Co’s Pest Risk Analysis schedule. To ensure traceability, each new batch of plants is assigned its own identification code linking directly to its source. UKISG assurance proves King and Co UK Provenance plants can be traced right back to seed.
Before any trees of plants leave the Nursery, they are checked a final time to make sure again they are in good health. It is only this rigorous checking, by experienced and trained experts, which can truly stop a plant pathogen escaping into the surrounding environment.
Buy responsibly! Plant Healthy suppliers are independently audited to check that the correct procedures are in place to intercept a notifiable pest or disease.
Trees and pants sold by a Supermarket or Homeware store for example may be checked at a central hub or BCP if they are imported, but these are not being checked and handled by qualified and experienced individuals for latent threats to plant health.
BBC Radio 4 – ‘Pipping a Plant Pandemic’
Airs: Wednesday 11th December, 15:30
BBC Radio 4 – Pipping a Plant Pandemic
Our Laurel standards have clear stems and bushy heads of evergreen foliage that sit above the fence line to enhance privacy without encroaching on the rest of the garden! Perfect for planting in a row to create an uninterrupted screen, you could also strategically plant one tree to block a specific view!
If planting in a row, we recommend planting the trees at 1.2-1.5m centres so that they will grow into each other! Measure the boundary before planting so that you can space the trees out evenly.
If you prefer a formal appearance, then you could go for a Pleached laurel instead. Known for their instant screening effect, these pleached trees have a clear stem and branches trained onto a flat framework.
Container grown trees can be planted all year round. Watch our video guide on how to do so.
As a guide, we recommend giving each tree 5 litres of water every other day during the growing season. The water should be directed at the base of the trunk.
5 Litres is a good starting point to make sure that the ground stays moist, if the soil starts to become saturated or dry adjust the amount as required.
We can offer our planting service if you are local to the nursery. Planting prices are dependent on the size of the pot. Please contact us if you would like a quote.
Pre-order trees and hedging now to jump to the front of the delivery queue. Bare root and root ball hedging is now available to pre-order from King and Co.
Download our Hedging Price Lists here:
King and Co Root Ball Hedging 2024-25 (Retail) Price List
Please contact sales@kingco.co.uk for a trade price list.
King and Co Bare Root Catalogue 2024-25
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Take a look at how we planted pleached hornbeam trees in a new build garden. Planting pleached hornbeam can transform the look and feel of your garden.
King and Co’s pleached hornbeam trees have clear stems of 1.8m (6ft) to preserve garden space. The foliage starts from 1.5-1.8m so importantly blocks the view of anyone overlooking. It is possible to underplant screening trees with shrubs to hide a fence or wall.
This customer recently moved into a new build property and wanted more garden privacy. The laurel hedge was in need of a trim, and existing sleepers formed a ramp between the two levels. The plan was to convert the ramp into a raised bed, keeping ground level for planting the pleached hornbeam trees.
The King and Co planting team installed eight pleached trees along the hedge line, creating privacy and shade. The hornbeam trees were planted at 1.5m centres to achieve a ‘touching’ finish. Carpinus betulus grows very well in Essex clay soils, and will extend to grow above and beyond the frames, ideal for those interested in planting pleached hornbeam for effective screening.
Theses container grown trees can be planted all year round. Similarly to trees planted in the winter, these trees will also need to be watered well during the growing seasons. If you would like to plant your own tree, watch our video here.
For all screening enquiries, contact the King and Co team or visit the Nursery in Rayne, Essex to select your own trees. King and Co are able to advise the best trees for screening your garden with just a few photos and measurements. Planting pleached hornbeam trees can provide both beauty and functionality to your garden.
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United Kingdom and Ireland Sourced and Grown (UKISG) is the Woodland Trust’s voluntary initiative, which is the benchmark for their tree procurement. Similar to the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, UKISG focuses on full visibility of the supply chain.
Each and every King and Co UKISG tree has been sourced within the UK and Ireland. This means being traceable from seed collection through to planting. UKISG tree sourcing is key for developing resilient woodlands and reduces the risk of importing pests and diseases.
Buying trees which have been sourced and grown in the UK not only supports the Woodland Trust’s goal to plant 64 million trees by 2025, but also support the UK’s net zero 2050 target. Importing trees increases the biosecurity risk to native species. Import transportation alone has a large carbon footprint.
King and Co is independently inspected to ensure the highest biosecurity standards in the tree growing industry. This focuses on every detail when it comes to the sourcing and growing of seeds and trees.
Further down the growing cycle; how the Nursery handles, checks and looks after its stock. The Nursery’s methodology and practices are rigorously inspected to ensure safe biosecurity. This extends to pre-dispatch checks before the trees are shipped to its customers. Rest assured, buy from a Plant Healthy and UKISG nursery for plants you know have received the best possible care.
Both schemes are voluntary, which highlights how committed King and Co are to preserving the safety of UK native species.
Read More:
BN7 and BN11 Countryside Stewardship Hedging Schemes
Laurel trees are considered the best trees for privacy because of their evergreen foliage. Prunus laurocerasus grows 30-50cm a year, making them fast growing trees. Laurel trees have dense, bushy crowns and knit together quickly to form a raised screen above a fence.
King and Co’s screening trees have clear stems to preserve garden space. The foliage starts from 1.5-1.8m so importantly blocks the view of anyone overlooking. It is possible to underplant screening trees with shrubs to hide a fence or wall.
This customer recently moved into a new build property and wanted above fence screening. Their new home featured a garden that was overlooked by their neighbours’ large windows. To soften the view and gain some privacy, they chose our laurel screening trees.
The King and Co planting team installed sixteen trees along the fence line, creating privacy and some shade. The fast growing laurel trees will knit together quickly to form a hedge above the fence. These laurel trees are UK grown and can cope with poorer clay soils.
Theses container grown trees can be planted all year round. Similarly to trees planted in the winter, these trees will also need to be watered well during the growing seasons. If you would like to plant your own tree, watch our video here.
For all screening enquiries, contact the King and Co team or visit the Nursery in Rayne, Essex to select your own trees. King and Co can advise the best trees for screening your garden with just a few photos and measurements.
Read more:
You can buy trees, hedging, shrubs and topiary online by browsing our website.
If you do not see a plant or size that is suitable for you then please call as we stock a wide variety of plants in our tree nursery. It’s worth noting that many other websites sell other people’s stock (i.e. they act as an agent) so you cannot view the products at their own site. At King & Co, all of our advertised plants are available for viewing at our tree nursery in Rayne, near Braintree, situated just over an hours drive out of London.
Our knowledgeable and experienced tree nursery staff are always contactable via phone on 01376 340469 or if you have any questions regarding any of our trees or accessories.
If you cannot see what you require on our website, please complete the enquiry form. We will give it our urgent attention and will get back to you shortly with a solution that meets your needs.
If you are looking for specific evergreen trees, Photinia, Leylandii hedging, Leylandii trees, instant hedging or shrubs, use the search bar at the top of the page
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