Congratulations — you're bringing a new plant home! Your imagination is probably already brimming with how it will transform your landscape as it grows. Next comes one of the most important steps in your new plant's life: deciding when, where, and how to plant.

Think of the soil as your plant's home. Though the weather is unpredictable and ever-changing outside, your walls and roof provide year-round protection from the elements. In the same way, soil offers insulation for the secret underground world of the root system -- the hidden engine of plant growth. Proper planting is the foundation for long-term success. In this article, we cover how to plant everything from annuals and mixed containers to perennials, trees, and shrubs. Tailored to our home in the Pacific Northwest, we've designed this guide to pool our team's experience and the latest research to give you tools to plant with confidence.

While plants derive energy from the sun in the form of photosynthesis, many of their most important functions occur underground. Roots are physical anchors that draw in water and nutrients, as well as store that hard-earned energy. They dig tunnels which aerate the soil and even store carbon in the ground. Even when their above-ground portions are dormant, most plants' root systems keep growing any time the soil is above 40º F and only go dormant below freezing temperatures. In our mild climate west of the Cascades, that means many plants continue growing, absorbing nutrients, and storing carbon throughout the winter.

Even the most attentive gardeners spend most of their time attuned to the visible growth of their plants. After all, we usually grow plants for the flowers, foliage, fruit, and woody forms in the landscape; when we look underground, it's often to harvest root vegetables or tend to bulbs that will eventually sprout into something beautiful above the surface. Considering roots grow best out-of-sight and undisturbed, this is a perfectly natural relationship — it just means that extra attention at planting time goes a long way towards cultivating happy, healthy roots.

Pre-Planting Checklist

Right Plant, Right Place

Conditions

• Light: Is your plant receiving the right amount level of sunlight?
• Water: Is the plant easy to reach when it needs supplemental water? Is the soil's moisture retention (i.e. soggy or fast-draining) compatible with the plant year-round?
• Soil: Does your soil meet your plant's preferences for pH and nutrient richness?
  

Location

Think about the mature size of the plant, often marked on the tag. Is your plant:

• Properly spaced to avoid crowding other landscape plants?
• Far enough from your home to avoid foundation damage?
• Out of the way of overhead powerlines and underground utilities?
• Minimally disruptive of public sidewalks and neighboring properties?
• Accessible for maintenance?
• Aesthetically appealing?

Step 1. Dig a hole twice as wide and about the same depth as the nursery pot.

Step 2. Gently coax the plant out of the nursery pot to inspect the root ball. It can be helpful the press on the sides of the pot with your palms or even knees to loosen the soil from the container.

In a nursery pot, roots can become tangled and constricted into the shape of the container. When you plant them in the ground, you want to encourage robust root systems that sprawl out to support the plant, aerate the soil, and reach for nutrients. If there's a substantial root wad at the bottom of the pot, the plant is rootbound and needs extra attention before planting to prevent the encircling roots from choking the plant.

Gently massage the roots until they hang freely, ready to grow straight downwards into the soil. While many gardeners are nervous about damaging their plants, there is typically no harm in breaking or even intentionally pruning some overgrown roots before planting — in fact, this encourages new growth.

Step 3. Optional: Add amendments like SureStart or another slow-release fertilizer into the planting hole

Step 4. Lower the plant into the hole, taking care to avoid planting in a depression or creating underground air pockets that can cause the plant to settle. Use the top of nursery pot's soil's as the guide for planting depth.

Step 5. Backfill the remaining hole with native soil and gently tamp down the ground to ensure the plant is secure.

Step 6. Optional: Add a layer of mulch

Step 7. Water the plant thoroughly

Step 8. Stand back and enjoy!