THE weather in the last few weeks has changed and brought a lot more leaf down in to the garden this changing from the lovely colours of autumn to the leafless winter looking bare tree, but where has all that leaf fall gone?

It is a good idea to check it is not putting a weight on top of a cage or the glass house and is not smothering any shrub plants in the garden.

If it has fallen on top of the lawn and remained there it is very possible it will reduce the grass cover underneath and is best removed.

We have experienced a very wet spell of weather this week and our garden soils will be very wet, care should be taken to avoid any work in wet soils as this leads to the the breakdown of the soil structure. We need the songs l to be in good condition throughout the year and by keeping it aerated helps the soil to keep air space open to allow good strong vigorous roots to grow in to these spaces and produce good plants.

This time of year is good for planting bare root trees and shrubs but once again avoiding periods of extreme wet, frost or snow.

Visits to the outdoor sections of garden centres slow down at this time of year so perhaps a good price can be paid for nice trees and shrubs that at other times of year are more expensive.

Make sure you pick a nice healthy tree or shrub with no obvious signs of damage to the branches. Preparation of the planting hole is key to a good start in the garden.

It is important to choose the right plant for the right situation therefore look in to how the tree or shrub will look when maturing and if it is suitable for your site.

It is important to carry this work out in good dry weather.

Dig the hole to the size of your root or rootball structure being careful not to damage any roots when you are planting is important to the survival of the shrub or tree.

It is good to use a garden cane to measure the depth of hole required and look for the previous nursery mark on the stem so not to plant too deep or have roots exposed when filling the excavated hole.

Once excavated it is a good idea to loosen the soil below, this enables young roots to grow freely in the soil and surrounding soil is not compacted.

The use of a mycorrizal root product is beneficial to the planting of trees and shrubs and these products are either scattered at the base of the hole or brushed on to the surrounds of the hole.

If the shrub or tree requires to be supported fix a post or stake to the plant and fix firmly but not too tightly to restrict the growth of the plant stem.

The hole should be filled and left slightly proud ensuring it is mounded to make sure surface water runs away from the tree to avoid flooding.

Sit back and wait for your tree or shrub to blossom in spring