Planting Trees & Shrubs
Planting Balled & Burlapped Plants
Plant a tree or shrub correctly, and you give it a head start on a healthy and productive life. But before you get the shovel out, look at your intended planting site and choose a species that fits the site and your needs. After you bring the ideal plant home, keep it watered and in a sheltered area until you are ready to plant. There's an old saying that it's better to put a 10-cent plant in a dollar hole than a dollar plant in a 10-cent hole. In most cases, you should dig a hole that is twice as wide as but no deeper than the root ball. One exception: When planting in heavy clay or compacted soil, dig a hole three to four times wider than the root ball to loosen the soil and encourage roots to spread out.
To determine the correct size hole for your plant- Lay a shovel handle across the top of the root ball. Then measure from the bottom of the root ball to the shovel handle; the measurement is the depth of the hole you should dig. Carefully lift the plant into the hole, then lay the measuring stick across the top of the root ball to ensure it is at ground level. Once the root ball is at the correct depth, position the plant so its most attractive side faces your primary viewpoint. Some B and B stock will have a metal basket surrounding the root ball. Remove the basket if you can do so without disturbing the root ball. Otherwise, use wire cutters to snip off the top two rungs. Plastic burlap should be removed, but burlap made of natural fibers can be left on the root ball if the sides are pulled down as far as possible. This allows the roots to spread without waiting for the burlap to disintegrate and is especially important if you're dealing with treated burlap. In any case, always untie the rope that holds the burlap in place. Don't allow any portion of the burlap to remain above ground, as the fabric will wick moisture out of the planting hole. When backfilling the hole, use the same soil you removed. Resist the urge to amend the soil, an old practice that is no longer recommended. Amending the backfill encourages the roots to remain in that "comfort" zone rather than seeking moisture and nutrients elsewhere. Amended soil may also collect too much moisture from the surrounding ground. Fill the hole two-thirds of the way to the top, then add water to settle the soil before you fill the remainder of the hole. Hold the tree or shrub upright while firming the soil around the base with your foot. Leave a saucer-shape basin of soil at the base of the plant to collect water. Top the soil off with 3-4 inches of seasoned wood chips or shredded bark mulch. Cover a wide area around the tree base to reduce competition from weeds and grass and to conserve moisture, but don't allow the mulch to pile up against the trunk. During the first growing season, water the tree or shrub every seven to 10 days if rainfall is lacking.
Container-Grown Plants
Container-grown trees and shrubs are planted the same way as B and B stock, with a few added precautions. First, water the plant generously just before planting. This will make it easier to slide the root ball out of the container. To help extract the plant, hit the sides of the container with the palm of your hand, rotating the container as you go. Holding the container in place with your feet, grip the base of the plant and gently pull until the root ball comes free. For larger containers, enlist someone's help, or use a heavy-duty knife or razor to cut the sides. Once the plant and container are separated, inspect the root ball. If you see a mass of swirling roots, cut through the mass to allow the roots to spread out rather than continuing to encircle the base of the plant. Use sharp clippers to cut four shallow gullies about 1/2 inch deep down the length of the root ball; space them evenly around the root ball. Then take a dandelion weeder, screwdriver, or similar device and scrape the sides of the root mass to free up the roots.
Bare-Root Plants
Forestry crews plant thousands of bare-root seedlings each year simply by making a slit in the soil, wedging the seedling in place, then closing the gap. So what's the big deal? That planting method may be fine for mass-planting expeditions, where casualties are expected, but it may cause slow growth and high mortality rates if used at home. Take a few extra steps when planting bare-root plants in your yard. Photo J First, soak seedling roots in a bucket of water for up to 24 hours to make sure they are well-hydrated. Bare-root seedlings dry out in a flash, so keep the roots submersed in the water until the hole is dug and ready for planting. The hole should be wide enough to accept the roots when they're spread out. Mound the soil in the center of the hole. Snip off any roots that are broken or substantially longer than the root mass, then spread the roots out on the mounded soil. The base of the tree (where the trunk starts to taper out into roots) should be at ground level. Backfill with the same soil you excavated. To help seedlings conserve water their first season in the ground, you may wish to add water-holding polymers to the backfill. The polymers soak up moisture and release it as the surrounding soil dries.
Planting Rules (And When to Break Them)
Don't stake. Exception: On a windy site, it is advisable to stake a tree, but for no longer than one year. Use two to three stakes connected to the tree with a wire. The wire should be covered with a piece of rubber hose where it comes in contact with the bark.
Don't wrap. Exception: Thin-bark trees benefit from protection in the winter. A paper tree wrap, extending from 1 inch below ground to the first series of branches, thwarts gnawing rodents and protects the tree against frost cracking. Remove the wrap in the spring to allow the trunk to expand.
Don't fertilize. Exception: It's okay to use balanced, slow-release fertilizer if the backfill soil is poor. Usually available in pellets, small briquettes, or beads, these encapsulated fertilizers release nutrients gradually over 12-18 months -- by which time roots have grown into the backfill soil.
Don't amend the soil. Exception: Amend the soil when planting rosebushes and smaller shrubs. It's especially helpful when planting a hedge.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
|
Drought Resistant Plants, Shrubs & Trees
DECIDUOUS TREES-
Acer x freemanii -
Freeman maple
Acer saccharinu -
silver maple
Crataegus viridi-
green hawthorn
Quercus palustri -
pin oak
SHRUBS & VINES
Campsis radicans-
trumpet vine
Celastrus scandens -American bittersweet Chaenomeles speciosa -flowering quince Chaenomeles x superba -Japanese flowering quince Lonicera fragrantissima -fragrant honeysuckle Physocarpus opulifolius -eastern ninebark
Potentilla fruticosa -shrubby cinquefoil
Rosa setigera
-prairie rose
HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
Andropogon gerardii -
big bluestem
Baptisia australis -
false blue indigo
Baptisia minor -
lesser wild indigo Calamagrostis x acutiflora -feather reed grass
Clematis integrifolia -solitary clematis
Euphorbia epithymoides -cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) Geranium macrorrhizum -bigroot geranium Hemerocallis
-daylily Iris |
