May 28, 2014

How to Design Your Landscape Like a Pro Step 2 and Save Money

After framing your vision, let’s look at budget. Budget determines how large your plants will be.

Small evergreen plants save money and grow quickly.

Small evergreen plants save money and grow quickly.

Budget can be a tricky subject. How much should I spend? (There is no wrong answer).

Landscape plants are sold based on how old they are. The larger and older, the more expensive. Some plant varieties like Japanese Maple seem really expensive for their small size. The reason is age. They grow more slowly than a red maple or sugar maple.

I’ve planted huge plants and small ones.

I can say with 100% accuracy that older, larger plants required more nursing. Small plants establish more quickly. If you’re new, start with smaller, less expensive plants.

Your budget can also deal with delayed or instant gratification. What do you want? If you want an instant, mature landscape, prepare to pay. If you have time and aren’t planning to move, consider starting small.

If your budget is less than $100, look for bargains and prepare to landscape parts of your yard each year. You probably won’t be able to do it all at once. I recommend beginning with evergreen plants and installing small, young units around the foundation and in privacy screening areas. Evergreens frame the open space and create uniformity.

A budget over $500 allows you to invest in larger, older plants. Less plants may be needed. Remember to space plants correctly. An expensive mistake is installing plants too closely together.

After budgeting for evergreens, do you want color? Annuals and perennials (flowers) are inexpensive. For the most color, choose annual varieties. For the thrifty homeowner, choose perennials. Perennials return year after year. Remember to design with the same colors. Uniformity and consistency define pro landscapers and homeowners.

Check out Step 3 Next!

Filed Under: Expensive Mistakes, Landscape Design, Speak Landscape Like A Pro
May 23, 2014

You Can Transplant Trees Right Now – If You Follow This Plan

You wake up and hear the birds chirping and the sun is shining outside. It’s spring, FINALLY! After a long cold winter, you get the urge to step outside and create something beautiful with the great outdoors. But, how do you succeed the first time? Follow this no-nonsense plan.

I’ve killed more plants than you’ll ever grow. It’s easy to do. Learn from my mistakes. Timing is critical so follow these five steps to 100% success.

I’ve been there before, it’s a challenge to develop the great habits needed to nurse a tender plant into a new permanent place. It’s unnatural in the first place to move plants. They’re made to stay in one place their entire life. It’s almost comical, but plants are successfully transplanted almost everyday of the year.

Plant Evergreens for Privacy

Plant Evergreens for Privacy

Season

Spring (March – June) is the best time of the year to plant perennials and annuals. Fall is the best time for trees and shrubs. Realistically, you can transplant (install) plants all year long as long as the temperatures outside don’t bother you.

Don’t let the season slow you down. When you’re ready to succeed, you can plant. I’ve installed successfully February – December.

Right Plant in the Right Place

Whether you’re looking for privacy, color, shade, or food, it’s important that sunlight be considered. Installing most plants in a shady location will minimize success rate. Four hours or more of sunlight is recommended for most plants. If you have shade, follow suit with shade tolerant .

It’s crucial that you know what variety goes where. This is the most important reason to contract with a landscape professional or local garden center. If you’re looking to save time, use an internet search engine. Search sun loving tree, or shade tolerant shrub for ideas. I use Google Images all the time for reference. Double check validity because many images are mislabeled.

Dig A Proper Hole

Don’t get in a hurry! Make the hole twice as wide as the root ball. No deeper than the roots is recommended. It’s ok for the container root ball to be 1-3 inches above the soil line. Loosen soil chunks with your hands or shovel as you fill the empty space in the hole. Don’t try to cram a root system into a tiny hole. You’re setting your new transplant up for failure. As you’re filling the hole with loose soil, add water to create a muddy mixture. This eliminates air space and helps the plant avoid transplant shock.

If you have more than one tree or shrubs to install, pace yourself and dig one hole a day.

Soak with Water, then Allow to Dry

After a successful installation, it’s time to provide daily or weekly irrigation. Most plants benefit from moist, well drained soil. Before irrigating your new transplant, feel the root area with your finger. Is it moist? You may not need to water today. Does the root ball feel dry to the touch? If so, irrigate directly to the roots, avoiding the stems and leaves. For larger plants, it’s perfectly fine to lay the water hose at the trunk and slowly drip water over several hours.

Whatever you do, don’t just spray the canopy and expect the plant to thrive. Soak the roots, then allow them to drain. Moisture is critical to your transplant success.

Inoculate with Mycorrhizae

Soil is alive with billions of microscopic organisms. To help your new transplant establish and become a part of the soil food web, purchase mycorrhizae from a local garden center or the internet. Follow the directions on the package and mix with water. Your transplant success rate will increase because mycorrhizae strengthens root systems. It is absent from most new plants at the garden center. Help your new plants and they will thank you later by needing less water and attention.

What successes and mistakes have you made installing trees and shrubs? Let me know in the comments below.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Establishment and Care Advice, Expensive Mistakes, Plant Install
April 22, 2014

How To Buy Landscape Trees at the Garden Center

“What do I look for in a tree?” you ask. It can be overwhelming, walking into a garden center in spring or fall. There are so many choices and qualities found in trees.

Fruit trees for sale. Notice the plant ID tag. Very important to read before purchase.

Fruit trees for sale. Notice the plant ID tag. Very important to read before purchase.

Here are five guidelines to purchasing a healthy valuable tree.

1. Does it have  a central leader? This is very important for oaks, hickories, etc. that grow large and provide shade. Why is the central leader so important? The central leader guides the growth of the plant upward and the single stem is resilient to damage from wind and pests. Central leader is less important for fruit trees and flowering trees like dogwood and ornamental cherry. I believe a strong central leader is very important for evergreen trees.

2. How does the container root area look or the burlapped area? If roots are growing out of the container or the burlap is tattered, consider passing on this particular tree. Unless you are buying the tree at a discount price. I call these plants “tired.” They have been sitting at the retail lot for too long and need a home. Negotiate a discount if you like or simply pass for a fresher, younger tree.

3. What does the plant tag say? If the tree is missing an ID tag, search Google for info on mature size and spacing like “white oak mature size”. Don’t buy an oak tree if you want something for a small space.

For the best fruit tree in your area, search your local state university extension website for articles. On Google, search “best apple tree for home garden in TN.”

4. Are you budget conscious? Smaller plants typically cost less money because they are younger. Look for small trees if you’re on a tight budget and are willing to wait a few years. Smaller plants also need less daily care.

5. Know the difference between evergreen and deciduous. If you need shade in the hot summer, plant a deciduous tree. If you want to screen for privacy or concealment, plant an evergreen tree.

How has your experience been at the garden center buying tree? Please answer in the comments below.

Filed Under: Expensive Mistakes, Right Plant In The Right Place