Landscaping Planting Guide

If you are thinking about adding plants to your landscape, it is important to understand and use current planting techniques so your new plants will get off to a good start. At one time, the required planting hole depth was thought to be "the deeper the better" --- that tree and shrub roots needed to have the soil extensively loosened so the roots could grow deep. That thinking has changed over the years, and so has the practice of fertilizing and pruning at planting time.

Tree or shrub
Shovel
Pick
Digging bar

Instructions

- 1
  
  Make sure you find the best spot before digging.
  
  Select the right planting location. Before planting, make sure you have selected a spot for your new plant that will accommodate the mature size. Make sure the location has the correct orientation and the plant will receive the correct amount of sun or shade that it requires.
- 2
  
  Be careful not to disturb the root ball when setting in the ground.
  
  Dig the planting hole no deeper than the root ball and at least three to five times as wide. Feeder roots, which absorb minerals and water, are usually within the top 12 inches of soil. They do not grow downward to the bottom of the planting hole, they grow laterally. Slope the planting hole sides rather than making them vertical which encourages lateral root growth. If the sides of the hole end up being smooth and slick, rough them up before planting.
- 3
  
  Do not handle tree by its trunk; support the root ball when setting in the ground.
  
  Backfill the hole with native soil. Trees and shrubs are going to have to learn how to grow in the native soil in your yard, so if you add compost or peat moss to the backfill soil, you are essentially dooming them to living in a large container in the ground. Save the compost to spread on the surface after you have planted, which helps retain soil moisture and will eventually decompose to provide nutritional support to the plant.
- 4
  Avoid fertilizing and pruning. Newly planted trees and shrubs should not be fertilized at planting time, as they do not need it and can be harmed if you dump a lot of nitrogen on the roots while they are trying to reestablish themselves in the new planting hole. Also, it is important not to prune at planting time, as they need all the foliage they have to conduct photosynthesis in order to recover from planting.
- 5
  Water in well. New trees and shrubs should be watered daily for a week, then every other day for a week, then every two days for another week, until you are supplementing them about once a week. Depending on your climate, adjust according. New trees and shrubs need regular irrigation for at least two years.

Hosta Landscape Tips

Hummingbird Plants for Zone 7

Landscaping Plants