06/25/2020
While we all strive to be great gardeners there are some common mistakes that are made that ends up with a plant that does not perform well or suffers death by the unknowing hand of a gardener. Here we have outlined some important facts to help you with your gardening endeavor.
• Proper placement of a plant. Remember to examine the lighting of the area you are thinking of putting a plant. Is there enough sun for a full sun plant? More than 6 hours of sun? Morning sun and afternoon shade is considered a part shade plant. Many times we stretch the lighting capacity of a plant. If you have a plant that is leaning to one side or another it is stretching to find the sun.
• Soil conditions. If the ground it typically dry you will want to either amend the soil with compost before planting. If the ground is perpetually wet, you may want to only plant those plants that are great with consistently wet root systems. Many shrubs, trees an perennials will not tolerate their root systems being consistently sitting in water, however, there are plants such as willows that do very well in that condition. Know your soil conditions before planting.
• Are you planting too deep? When you purchase a tree, shrub or perennial you should be digging the hole twice the size of the diameter of the container it is in. By doing this you are loosening up the soil around the new plant for roots to grow freely. While it can be cumbersome to do this, you will benefit in the long run. Remember to plant the new tree, shrub or perennial exactly how you see it in the container your bought. Never plant it deeper as it leads to suffocation of the plant over time. Planting the crown at soil level is always the best way to go.
• Mulching. Here is another common mistake many of us make. We tend to “over mulch”. A layer of 2-3” of mulch is best and kept away from the neck of the plant. Sometimes we get carried away with mulching and pile it up deep to hopefully alleviate weeds. Meanwhile, it is causing a disservice to the plant as it simply cannot breath.
• Stone. While it may look really nice to put stone around plants, heavy stone can lead to crushing of precious root systems so be careful when laying it around new plants.
• Watering. Here is where many will make tragic mistakes. First, when a plant tag says it is drought tolerant, this does not mean that we can plant it and let it go. Drought tolerant is typically only after the root system is established. All new plantings need water regardless of an overnight sprinkling of rain. Remember to water in the mornings if at all possible so that it has the chance to dry off during the day. Trees especially need a slow soaking of water for about 20 minutes every other day barring any lengthy rainy days. Water at the base of the soil avoiding overhead watering especially with perennials and annuals. If you are unsure as to whether the soil is wet enough, put your fingers in the soil about an inch or so if possible. If it is like a well wrung out sponge, it’s great! If it is dry and crumbly, get the hose out and start watering. Overwatering is also an issue however, if the leaves of your plants are turning yellow, more than likely it is being overwatered. Ironically, if you have houseplants the number one decline of them is due to overwatering. Yes, we try our best to care for them, but often times we “over care”.
* Fertilizer. Most, if not all container trees, shrubs and perennials are grown with fertilizer in their containers so you would want to hold back on fertilizing until the following year. Annuals however, they should be fed about every two weeks with a water soluable fertilizer such as Miracle Gro, or when initially planting use Osmocote which is a time released fertilizer.
• Deadheading. Many annuals will benefit from deadheading such as geraniums, regular petunias, verbena, marigolds, etc. This should be done down to next set of leaves. For perennials, there is a time for each perennial to shine however, you can promote more blooms by cutting back expired blooms to the next set of leaves below. Give it some time and more than likely they will send up more blooms but it will take a rest and rejuvenate first.
Planting trees, shrubs and perennials are an investment in your home and landscape so hopefully these tips will help you extend the life of your investment.
