I have had a planted tank for a few months but have just purchased a new 160l tank (bit of an upgrade for me).

I was going to put the aquatic mix and gravel in the tank before cycling, but when do I add the plants?

Ideally it would be good to fill up the tank a wee bit then place plants and fill to cycle, is this how most people do it?

will plants affect the cycling process in any way?

Plants will help the cycling eventually by sucking up nitrate, so chuck em all in

There are a number of ways to start, I tend to fill it up part way like you suggest, add plants and then fill it up further. Some have planted them out dry in the soil but kept them moist (bit too complicated for me) and some just fill up the tank and then add the plants. It's certainly easier to see how they are going to stand in the water if there is enough to cover them. You just have to be a bit careful so as not to stir the bottom up too much when planting.

As Sophia said, Plant the plants straight away. They will then be well established when you introduce the fish.

Thought that was the way to go, thanks for confirming. Now the new next challenge of choosing and sourcing plants!

If you find out what you're after, ask on here. I've found the quality of plants bought from people here far outweighs the ones I've purchased through trademe