Monty Don's 'genius' planting trick gives outdoor plants the best chance of thriving

With winter well and truly behind us, now is the time to get planting in the garden. So what better opportunity to try out one of Monty Don's best tips and give your plant every chance to thrive?

Whether you're ready to embrace this year's garden trends or simply want to fill your garden with the best plants for shade, this planting trick is about to make things a lot easier.

So if you're ready to sort your garden out and fill it with thriving plants, why not try this genius Monty Don planting trick to make the transition from pot to ground far easier?

Monty Don's genius planting trick

Planting out seedlings or shop-bought plants can sometimes feel like gambling as you wait for them to establish in the new soil or wither away. This is why it's important to find ways to make the transition from pot to ground more seamless.

One garden influencer has helped by sharing Monty's tip on the Instagram account @hettyhenley, Hetty says, "I wish I’d found this sooner. Here’s a simple planting hack from Monty Don to give your plants the very best start."

Unlike when you're repotting houseplants, your garden soil doesn't come with readily available slots for your plant to fit into. Instead, you usually have to dig, stop and check until you finally reach that perfect depth and shape. Well, not anymore.

"Create the hole for your new plant, then place the plant, still in its pot, into the hole and backfill with compost. When you lift the pot out, it will reveal a perfectly shaped hole for your plant, and just take your plant out of its pot and pop it back in," explains Hetty.

Not only does this ensure that your plant has near-perfect soil contact with its roots, but your plant is also more likely to establish and thrive. Knowing your soil type can also help you prepare both your plant and soil for this.

This trick can work for any pot or plant shape, you may however want to create a little extra space if your plant is pot-bound and needs some more room to spread out.

As with every golden nugget of Monty's advice, there was no lack of admiration from Hetty's audience. Some even offered up their own ideas alongside this trick.

"My mum taught me also to ‘puddle them in’..just before you pop your plant in the hole, fill it with plenty of water, then pop it in and the roots immediately take up the water. I also water after planting as well," comments one user.

Knowing how to water your garden plants properly both before and after they're established is key. This preliminary heavy watering can help your plant merge with its surrounding soil much more easily, thus helping establish it.

Shop planting essentials

If you're just as impressed with Monty's gardening knowledge as us, why not give his tough-love approach to spring plants a try? You'll be surprised by just how much of a difference it makes to their growth and overall health.