Planting Tips

Planting instructions for all container grown plants

 All container grown nursery plants can be successfully planted anytime the soil is free from frost.

1. Prepare a hole twice the size of the container to accommodate the roots without crowding.
2. Evergreens, trees and shrubs grow in nearly all types of soils. Naturally the best is a rich, sandy loam. Most soils can be improved by adding peat moss, composted manure and fertilizer.
3. Remove the plant from the container carefully.
4. If you notice the plant is root bound, take a serrated knife and cut 1"-2" towards the center of the root ball – the entire depth of the root area, in three places.
5. Partly refill the planting hole with the soil mixture.
6. Plant the tree, shrub or evergreen slightly higher than it was growing in the container to prevent the roots from suffocating.
7. Refill the balance of the planting hole and firm the soil gently around the root system to eliminate air pockets.
8. Water the plant thoroughly once a week with an open hose for 3-5 minutes for the first 2-3 months after planting physically check the root ball for moisture — even after it rains to ensure a good supply of moisture, (light rains do not penetrate the root ball very well). After the plant has become established, routine watering is required.
9. Cover root area using 2" of mulch to keep the soil moist and reduce extreme soil temperature fluctuations.

Recommendations for heavy clay soil

If the soil is heavy clay and drainage is extremely poor, a shallow planting hole must be dug. Set the plant into the hole planting it higher than normal and mound loose well drained soil around the root area. In effect, you are setting the plant into a small hill and the roots will work their way out into the well drained, aerated soil.

Recommendations for sandy soils

In a sandy or light soil situation the plant can be planted at the same depth or slightly deeper than growing in the container.

Supporting transplanted shade trees

Transplanted shade trees must be supported with stakes or guy wires. These keep the tree well anchored in windy weather. Leave the support in place for the first 2-3 years until the tree is established. Where the guy wires go around the tree, they should be covered by pieces of rubber hose, to prevent the wire from cutting into the bark.

Pruning newly planted trees

The procedure for pruning a newly planted fruit tree is based on its ultimate shape. In nature all trees have a natural symmetrical shape and if this is the shape you want, then select the branches that will ensure symmetry. However, dwarf trees can be grown to any shape that is desired. For instance, they can be trained on a wall, a fence or trellis etc. Therefore, their initial pruning will be dictated by their ultimate shape. To train or espalier dwarf trees, the procedure is the following: at planting time you select the branch that will best grow in the direction you want. It is then fastened or tied in that position and forced to grow that way, after which other suitable branches are selected and trained to their desired position.

If at planting there are no suitable branches growing in the right direction you then prune the branches back hard to two buds. These dormant buds will develop shoots and from these shoots you can select a branch that will grow in the preferred direction.

Pruning newly planted trees

1. Make close, clean cuts. Avoid stubs that encourage the entry of disease.Cuts larger than the diameter of a 25 cent piece are coated or sprayed with a tree wound dressing.
2. Cut out broken, dead or diseased branches.
3. Prune on the horizontal plane, that is to say, leave those laterals on the main branches that grow horizontally or nearly so and remove those that hang down or grow upward. This cannot always be done, but where possible it should be followed.
4. All varieties should be thinned out enough to permit thorough spraying, and the entrance of sunlight and air.
5. Prune moderately, very heavy pruning is likely to upset the balance between wood growth and fruitfulness, and generally should be avoided.
6. Prune regularly. Trees which are given some attention each spring are more easily kept in good condition than trees that are pruned irregularly.
7. Do not remove a branch unless there is a very good reason for doing so. It should not be forgotten that the leaves of a tree are the food-manufacturing organs, and if the leaf area is reduced unnecessarily the tree will be reduced in growth or fruitfulness or both.

Pruning fruit-bearing trees

Generally, pruning fruit-bearing trees involves removing not less than 5% and not more than 10% of the bearing wood each year and should be governed by the vigor of the tree. Heavy pruning encourages a vigorous growth of branches and upsets the balance of growth to fruitfulness and thereby reduces productivity. Pruning should distribute the fruit to receive the maximum amount of light to give size, color and flavor. Dead, diseased, broken branches, interfering wood and branches with weak narrow crotches should be removed.

• Apples and Pears bear fruit on two-year old terminal buds or short spurs along the branches. They will remain productive for several years and do not remove them.
• Plums produce most of their fruit on vigorous horizontal spurs on wood from two to eight years old.
• Apricots produce most of their fruit on short-lived spurs. Pruning should produce a good number of strong spurs for bearing fruit and encourage new growth to produce spurs for future crops.
• Cherries develop most of their fruit on two to three year old wood.

Fruit trees are affected by insects and diseases and require routine protective spraying.

Planting Roses in your Beds

The first consideration when planting roses should be, does your bed have sunshine most of the day. If not, do not bother planting roses, as you will never be satisfied with the way they bloom.

The second consideration is are you willing to prepare it for winter. This requires some special steps be taken in the fall to protect them. We have a pamphlet suggesting the proper way to do this. No special protection is required for Rugosa or Sub-Zero Roses.

To properly plant a rose you will need to dig a hole twice the size of the pot the rose is growing in. Then put a shovel or two of mixed peat and good garden soil in the hole. Remove the rose from the pot and set it in the hole so that it is not planted any deeper than it was in the pot. Be sure to water regularly all summer long and on into the fall.

Planting Evergreens

When planting evergreens you will need to dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. To this hole you will need to add a shovel or two of good garden soil and peat mix. Do not let it go dry at any time until the ground freezes hard in the fall. Always remember to remove evergreen, tree, or shrub from pot before planting.

The next spring you can put an application of evergreen fertilizer around the base and water it in.

Transplanting Annual Flowers to the Garden

You have just purchased healthy flowering plants to be transplanted to your beds. To guarantee they will stay healthy after transplanting you will have to follow these few basic rules:

1. You must have sufficient garden soil in your beds, at least 12" deep.
2. You should have the PH checked to see that it is between 6 and 7. If not you will have to add lime if it is below 6 or acid if it is above 7. We can check this for you providing you bring a sample in a large coffee or juice can. There is no charge for this service and it only takes a minute.
3. Fertilizer should be sprinkled over the beds in the correct amount. Then the bed can be tilled to a depth of 10". You are now ready to plant.
4. Do your transplanting either in the morning or evening, not in the heat of the day. Put the plants in the ground at the same depth as they were in the pack. Press the soil firmly around the plant. When the whole bed has been planted water it thoroughly.
5. If possible, your plants will do much better if watering is done in the mornings rather than in the evening, but definitely not during the day. To make them grow at their very best you would be wise to water them with a fertilizer solution every 2 weeks. We suggest using Vigoro Pink, Miracle Gro, or any all-purpose fertilizer.