How long will the plants take to establish?
What you can expect.
Annoyingly there isn’t one comprehensive answer. It depends on the type of plant and the various different environmental elements in the planting area. In this blog I’ll walk you through establishing and some of things you should take into account when choosing plants.
What does establishing mean?
A plant is established when the roots are well integrated into the soil and it can withstand normal weather conditions.
Normally the advice that give to our clients that the second year will be when your borders will start look their best. However this depends on the plants in the borders and isn’t a hard and fast rule.
Types of plants and how long they take to establish.
Bedding Plants - Months
Bedding plants normally are purchased either just before flowering or flowering already so they are already established. They only last one season. Because they have such a short life span they are normally they are use in things like hanging baskets and other arrangements that are short lived.
As designer we don’t use bedding plants because they are so short lived.
Annuals - Months
Annuals have an entire life cycle, from seed to death, of one year. There is both Hardy and Half-Hardy. The hardyness of a plant determines the maximum and minimum temperature a plant can withstand. Thus, Hardy Annuals are sawn early spring and in some cases winter whereas Half-Hardy is late spring, around late April/May.
As designer we use Annuals in the form of Annual wildflower meadows (for more in formation see our blog) and as filler plants such as Cosmos. Filler plants are there to fill a gap while perennials/shrubs etc reach their ultimate size.
Biennials - Months
Biennials complete their entire life cycle, from seed to dying, in two year because of this they don’t mature properly until the second year. Very often they flower in early spring, normally before Annuals or Perennials. A common Biennial is Digitalis (Foxglove) however some Digitalis are Perennial.
As designer we use Biennials (especially Digitalis) in borders that are more naturalistic. At the end of their life cycle you can let them seed and begin the Biennial cycle again. You might need to edit (strategically weed out) borders with self-seeding plants in them to maintain balance.
Perennial - About one year
Perennials have a life cycle that is three years or longer and most will flower over several weeks in one season. Perennials will dye back to root stock over winter and remain dormant until spring. Perennials have been cultivated to fit nearly every condition and aesthetic. A Perennial will normally take between 2 - 5 years to reach their ultimate size. They will be flowering and creating amazing displays before this point but this will be the point where they’re at their best.
This is the type we most use as designer because of the variety available and their longevity. We normally advise the second year after a new perennial border has been planted before it will look as intended.
Shrubs - About one year
Most shrubs will take about one year to established themselves. This isn’t the same as the ultimate size (mentioned in perennials) which can be up to 10 years. The difference between a tree and shrub is that a shrub has multipul shoot erupting from the ground and not one main trunk. There are deciduous (loose their leaves in winter), semi-evergreen (keep there leave in mild winters) and evergreen (foliage all year round) shrubs available.
We use a wide variety of shrubs for many different reason. One of the main uses is as structure within a border.
Trees - Years
Trees can take years to full establish themselves and some trees can take decades to reach their ultimate height. Just like shrubs they come in deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen. Tree like Betula (Silver Birch) have a life span of 100 - 120 year and are considered a short lived tree. The oldest tree in the UK is the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire estimated as being between 2000 - 3000 years old.
We use a wide variety of trees for many different reason.
Why you should properly research your plant list
If the plant list has been properly researched and the planting has been done by someone with experience and knowledge the environmental issues shouldn’t have much (if any) affect. The trick is to fit the plant to the environment. When picking you plants in is very important you work out the micro environment in the planting area. Use the three factors below to determine this and while researching your plant list.
Here are the factor that might affect a plant establishing.
Water
How wet or dry the soil is can have a massive affect on how well a plant establishes. Some plants are made for constant wet, some very dry and everything in between.
The classifications are:
Wet Soil - Saturated with water and has no air in its pore spaces.
Moist Soil - Feels and looks damp, some water in pore but not as much as wet soil.
Moist Well-drained Soil - Allows water to pass through it quickly without pooling, and is also moist enough to support plant growth.
Well-drained Soil- Allows water to pass through it quickly without pooling.
Dry Soil - Little to no moisture, water drain ver fast.
If planted in the wrong soil a plant cannot access all the nutrients and water it needs to survive. This will result in poor growth, small or no flowers, root damage or rot and ultimately death.
Sunlight
Plants use sunlight to create food. There is a plant for every degree of sun light. Some are very specialised and can only tolerate a specific amount.
The classification are:
Full Sun - At least 6 hours of direct sunlight per mid-summer day.
Partial Shade - Between 3 - 6 hours of direct sunlight per mid-summer day.
Dappled Shade - Reflected or defused light.
Moderate Shade - Between 2 - 3 hours of direct sunlight per mid-summer day.
Full Shade - Usually under a tree or over hanging building. Less that 2 hours of direct sunlight per mid-summer day.
If planted in the wrong position a plant either, won’t have enough sunlight to produce the food it needs or too much resulting in scorched leaves and large about of water loss.
Position
Some plants can handle very exposed conditions and some just can’t. Factor like how robust a plant is and how it respires are can make a big difference.
The classifications are:
Sheltered - Protected from the elements.
Exposed - Not protected from the elements.
Sheltered or Exposed - Happy in either position.
If planted in the wrong position a plant will grow distorted or damaged. This will result in poor growth, dye back and ultimately death.