A planting apparatus for planting a seedling below a ground level , including: a seedling plug ; a plug cap ; a shroud ; a cover ; and at least one reservoir ; the at least one reservoir able to be, in use, buried beneath the ground level and including a container filled with water to a water level and irrigation means for providing a controlled flow of water from the container, the container being separate from the shroud; the cover able to be, in use, arranged around the shroud and above the at least one reservoir to retain moisture in the ground beneath the cover; the seedling plug including a plug body and a seedling , the plug body including a body of growing medium , the seedling growing in the plug body so that an upper portion of the seedling protrudes from an upper surface of the growing medium and wherein the upper surface of the growing medium is arranged, in use, below the water level ; the shroud including a wall , a lower region defining a lower aperture , and an upper region defining an upper aperture ; the upper region of the shroud extending, in use, upwardly above the ground level the lower region of the shroud extending, in use, below the ground level to surround at least the upper portion of the seedling; the plug cap comprising a moisture resistant material, the plug cap being arranged to cover the upper surface of the growing medium so that the seedling protrudes through the plug cap into the lower region of the shroud, wherein at least a portion of the wall in the lower region of the shroud which is arranged in use between the upper surface of the growing medium and the ground level is moisture resistant and substantially imperforate and wherein the wall in the upper region of the shroud has graduated permeability by light so that the wall becomes progressively more permeable by light towards the upper aperture . a seedling plug ; a plug cap ; a shroud ; a cover ; and at least one reservoir ; the at least one reservoir able to be, in use, buried beneath the ground level and including a container filled with water to a water level and irrigation means for providing a controlled flow of water from the container, the container being separate from the shroud; the cover able to be, in use, arranged around the shroud and above the at least one reservoir to retain moisture in the ground beneath the cover; the seedling plug including a plug body and a seedling , the plug body including a body of growing medium , the seedling growing in the plug body so that an upper portion of the seedling protrudes from an upper surface of the growing medium and wherein the upper surface of the growing medium is arranged, in use, below the water level ; the shroud including a wall , a lower region defining a lower aperture , and an upper region defining an upper aperture ; the upper region of the shroud extending, in use, upwardly above the ground level the lower region of the shroud extending, in use, below the ground level to surround at least the upper portion of the seedling; the plug cap comprising a moisture resistant material, the plug cap being arranged to cover the upper surface of the growing medium so that the seedling protrudes through the plug cap into the lower region of the shroud, wherein at least a portion of the wall in the lower region of the shroud which is arranged in use between the upper surface of the growing medium and the ground level is moisture resistant and substantially imperforate and wherein the wall in the upper region of the shroud has graduated permeability by light so that the wall becomes progressively more permeable by light towards the upper aperture . <EOS>