The right mix, at the right time
Tree and shrub planting
For family homes and new builds, we professionally plant trees, shrubs, perennials and other ornamental plants, and lay lawns from seed or turf. Species, spacing and soil preparation are matched to the particular site, so beds establish well and the garden has a healthy base from its first season.
How planting works
Our process
How planting works
Planting has five steps. We keep to them so the plants take in their first season and still have something to grow on in ten years' time.
- Checking the plan and the timing. The planting plan and the species decide the window. It usually falls in spring or autumn, when the soil is moist and plants are not in full growth.
- Soil preparation. On the heavier alluvial soils common near the rivers, we prepare the hole and the substrate so the root doesn't end up sitting in a bowl that holds water.
- The planting itself. When establishing beds, trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental woody plants go in the order and at the spacing set by the plan. What decides the spacing is their size in a few years, not the look on planting day.
- Watering and mulching. After planting we water thoroughly and cover the ground around the trunk or bed with mulch, which holds moisture and slows weeds.
- Guidance for the first season. We explain how often to water until the plants take, and what to watch for through the first summer and the first winter.
What to prepare
Planting goes faster and the plants take better when you have to hand:
- a planting plan, if you have one from us or from another designer,
- the state of the plot — whether the ground is levelled or needs grading first,
- access to water near the planting area for the first watering,
- an idea of timing — spring and autumn planting have different windows, and for some species the window is narrow,
- a note about pets or small children, if we should avoid thorns and poisonous fruit.
How we choose the species
A long hot summer on one side and heavy, occasionally waterlogged soil on the other are why we favour woody plants with deeper roots and good drought tolerance. Pedunculate oak, field maple and hornbeam have served us well, together with perennials and ornamental grasses that cope with spells without daily watering once established.
In damper spots closer to the watercourses we choose the opposite: woody plants that do not mind their roots being temporarily waterlogged. Commonly both apply on one plot and the mix changes within a few metres.
The exact mix is confirmed after the site visit, according to the soil and the light.
Where we plant
We bring the plants with us, so distance mostly decides whether the planting is done in one round or split into phases.
Planting trees and shrubs in Kráľovský Chlmec and Medzibodrožie
This is where we plant most often — in Kráľovský Chlmec, Streda nad Bodrogom, Veľké Kapušany, Somotor, Boťany and Čierna nad Tisou. We choose the mix by whether the plot sits near a watercourse, where roots risk periodic waterlogging, or on higher ground that dries out fast in summer.
Planting and lawns in Trebišov and the Trebišov district
We go to Trebišov, Sečovce, Slovenské Nové Mesto and the surrounding villages mainly for new builds. The soil there is compacted by machinery and mixed with building rubble, so both planting and laying a lawn start with replacing the topsoil — without it the lawn never knits and young trees stall.
Ornamental planting in Michalovce and the Michalovce district
In Michalovce and the surrounding villages the plots are often open and unshaded. There the first row of planting works as a windbreak and a hedge; only behind it does it make sense to put in more delicate ornamental plants and perennials. We plan continuous planting here as a single round, so the stock travels once.
Landscape planting in Košice and the Košice area
We come to Košice and the surrounding district for larger planting schemes, usually as part of a full garden build. On slopes here planting also does a job against erosion — the root system holds the soil, so the layout follows where the water runs, not only how it looks.
Frequently asked questions about planting
Timing, plants, lawns and the first season — briefly.
- When is the best time to plant trees and shrubs?
- For woody plants, autumn — the soil is still warm, there is more rain, and the plant roots in before summer drought arrives. Spring planting is fine too, but it demands more careful watering through the first summer. Container-grown stock can go in through the whole growing season, apart from frosts and the hottest weeks.
- How much does planting a garden cost?
- The largest item is usually the plant stock, not the labour: a mature root-balled tree costs several times the same species in a small container, even though they even out within a few years. After that come the number of plants, the soil preparation and whether substrate and mulch have to be brought in. We quote after the site visit, once the planting plan or at least a species list is clear.
- Do you lay lawns — from seed or turf?
- Both. Turf gives a finished surface almost at once and suits slopes, where seed would wash away with the first rain; it costs more and needs careful watering in the first weeks. Seed is cheaper and, once thick, indistinguishable — but it takes six to eight weeks and a clean, weed-free surface. Either way the ground preparation decides it: no lawn takes on compacted soil.
- Do you supply the plants, or should I buy them myself?
- We can supply and plant them. There is a practical reason: the species, the container size and the quality of the root ball decide whether the planting takes, and none of that can be judged from a photograph. If you already have the plants, we will put them in — at the site visit we will just say whether they suit the position.
- Do you do landscape planting on larger areas?
- Yes. The method is the same as for a garden by a house; the scale and the order change: on larger areas the earthworks and drainage come first, then continuous planting, and the lawn last. The aftercare differs too — landscape planting needs regular maintenance for its first two seasons, or the investment disappears into weeds.
- How do I look after new planting in the first season?
- Watering decides it: less often but thoroughly beats a daily splash, so the water goes deep and the roots follow it. Mulch around the planting holds moisture and slows weeds. Woody plants are not fed nitrogen in autumn, so they can harden off before winter. If you would rather not water by hand, it is worth doing automatic irrigation alongside the planting — the pipework goes in before the plants, not after.