August Home-WorkBench

Planting Shrubs and Trees

Foundation plantings
Plant a hedge
Plant a tree
Choosing a tree
Safely moving a tree
Digging the hole

The beautiful blossoms of flowering shrubs make them an important ingredient in any landscape. Their color and texture make them attractive as a striking focal point in a yard or as one of the elements of a landscape design. Planting one is relatively easy, choosing one is more challenging because of the vast variety. Flowering shrubs are usually little or no maintenance bloomers that will give you years of enjoyment.

A shrub is a woody plant that usually has several stems or trunks that is smaller than a tree, usually under 15 feet tall. Some are evergreen and remain green throughout all four seasons, others are deciduous and loose their leaves at some point in their cycle.

Because of their variety they can be used everywhere and anywhere in a landscape setting. Older homes in established areas are likely to have a lovely lilac bush planted in a back yard corner or a row of sprawling Baby's Breath along the side of the house. Larger flowering shrubs are used to anchor a landscape and low growing ones often spread over a rock garden or border a fence. They're best left in a natural shape and can be used alone or in a row as hedging material. Azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs are popular choices but the list is endless when it comes to choosing one.

For the best source for a flowering shrub that will thrive in your area consult a local garden center or nursery. There inventory will vary during the year and they may not have a large selection towards the end of the summer. They are however your best source of local information. Most of the time you can find a dazzling assortment of flowering shrubs or if they don't have something you like they can order any number of specialty shrubs from their suppliers.

Most small shrubs are sold in containers where they are grown. Indicators of a good healthy shrub are a vibrant leaf color and well balanced shape. Avoid plants that are lopsided or shapeless. The shrub should also fit in the container and not be growing out of it.

To plant a shrub first spend time preparing the hole carefully. It must be a welcoming new environment for the plant. Dig the hole at least twice as wide as the container and 1 1/2 times as deep. Use a spade to dig the hole and a garden fork to break up the soil that you removed.

Water the shrub in its container so the soil is moist. Tap the sides of the container to loosen the soil and gently tilt the container to one side as you ease the plant and soil out of it. If that doesn't work easily you can cut away the container from the plant with a utility knife.

Position the shrub firmly on a level bottom of the hole and hold it straight as you fill in soil around it. Mix in some organic matter or compost with the soil and occasionally add water to prevent air pockets from forming beneath the soil. Work the soil around and spread it out from a mound at the base of the shrub. The soil should be at the same level as it was in the container. Look at the bark of the plant and you'll notice a darkened ring around it. Don't pile the soil any higher around the plant than this marking or you risk smothering the shrub.

Stand back and look at the plant to make sure that it is straight and in the correct position. Now is the time to straighten the shrub if it needs it. Soon its roots will begin to spread and establish themselves outside the original root ball. Digging up the shrub at a later date to reposition can harm it.

Remove any tags or wires wrapped around its branches. If any branches snapped during the planting process use a pruning shears to trim them off. Also remove any stray or crossover branches that will obstruct the growth of the plant. Don't forget to water it weekly.

Foundation plantings

Planting a shrub or border of plants at its foundation frames a house and often does a lot to conceal unattractive building material. This is most often the case with older homes built in the 1930's with common block foundations. Sturdy they are, but attractive they are not. Planting materials are used to hide the foundation and add color and texture to the surrounding area. Yews, junipers and various evergreens are popular choices because of their longevity and enduring qualities.

Foundation plantings can also correct an architectural weakness or call attention to an attractive feature. For example, a house set high with too much foundation exposed can be lowered visually with shrubs planted at corners to give the illusion of width. A grouping of low shrubbery with higher plantings on either side can frame a bay window.

In new homes where the foundation of a house is often wrapped in vinyl siding to match the house there's nothing to hide. But the area where the house meets the soil needs softening and color. Because a house has straight lines and sharp corners consider planting shrubbery at the foundation that varies in height. A pleasing affect features high plantings in the rear and lower ones in the front. To break the shades of green in any grouping use a flowering shrub or group of them at a corner.

The size and color of shrubbery is important when choosing foundation plantings but so is a plant's watering requirements. Don't choose a water-hungry shrub for an area that is sheltered from rainfall especially if your garden hose can't reach it.

A common mistake that people make with foundation plantings is setting the shrub too close to the house. As it grows (which surely it will) its branches push against the house often breaking off and damaging the plant. Planning ahead makes all the difference.

It seems awkward to plant a small shrub two or three feet from a house but if its mature size is 36-in. diameter than it's going to need ample growing space all around it to expand. As you look at nursery stock and shrubs you'll see that their ID tags specifies its spread in either inches or feet.

Since you might be working in confined quarters like a tight corner or in between existing shrubbery it's possible you'll have to use a trowel instead of a shovel. Be as resourceful as you can under the conditions. Use ground covers beneath and among foundation plantings to choke out weed growth and plant brightly colored annuals to add interest.

Ground cover is a solution for many gardeners because it's a low growing, ground-hugging perennial that produces any variety of flowering plants or colorful foliage. Your lawn is one type of ground cover to avoid because it needs maintenance. What you should look for in a ground cover is a plant that requires no or low maintenance.

Plant a hedge

A hedge is a living fence that provides a dense green backdrop or barrier on your property. It creates privacy in a yard by enclosing an area and helps shield out noise and wind. Evergreens and holly are popular choices for hedging material and throughout different regions of the country you'll find nurseries with shrubs they strongly recommend for their endurance and hardiness. While most of us think of a hedge as a straight row of hedging material you can also plant a natural hedge in a winding informal row that follows the contour of a landscape.

Before you start digging and planting make sure that you know the boundaries of your property. You'll find your property line on the plot survey of your house. Most banks and loan institutions require a plot survey when a house changes owners. So study the survey and check the limits of your property before you plant anything.

You can plant a hedge by digging individual holes for the plants or dig a trench the entire length of your hedge row. Use a string and stakes to align the row so it is straight. For a tighter denser hedge stagger the plants in two rows.

If you are planting a row of privets it is probably easier to dig a trench because the plants are close together so you don't have to do much extra digging. You can adjust the placement of the shrubs before filling in soil around them.

Larger hedge plants like evergreens are spaced further apart and are probably better planted in separate holes. Each of the holes is rather large so digging a trench can be a major project. Align the shrubs up along side the layout string and then use the base of the shrub as a guide when digging the hole.

Whatever method you choose make sure to allow for the space requirements between the shrubs so they have plenty of growing room. Follow the spacing requirements for the hedging material that is specified on its ID tag.

Make sure that the plant is sitting upright and has plenty of fertilizer or organic matter added to the soil. Build up the soil around the hedge so it is at the same soil level as the plant was in its container. Be sure to remove any tags or wires from its branches so they don't restrict growth after planting.

Hedges are basically formal or informal and their shape is determined by how you prune and shape it. After planting a hedge use pruning shears to remove any broken or dead branches. For an informal hedge prune the plants to follow their natural contour just as if you were pruning an individual plant. Just let them be themselves. Trim them so branches don't restrict each other and remove dried or dead shoots from the base of the plant. There will be open spaces or gaps in between some of the plants so it doesn't provide a complete barrier.

To prune a more formal hedge that will become a dense thick wall of foliage you have to do some shaping. Overall you want to avoid a top heavy hedge. By that we mean don't let the top get wider than the bottom of the plant because it stifles the growth of the lower branches. A top heavy shrub keeps the sun out and prevents air from circulating. Prune the plant so the sides are vertical or trim the top branches so they are narrower than the bottom. As time goes by the base of the plant will fill out creating a lush green living fence.

Plant a tree

You won't forget the day you planted a tree in your yard because it's like bringing home a guest who stays forever. As the tree blossoms and grows over the years you'll often reflect on its small and spindly beginnings. You'll feel the pain when its branches break in a lighting storm and nurture it back to life with loving care.

A tree melds into the landscape as if it were always there. As the tree matures it watches your family grow from tiny tots who play in its protective shadow to industrious kids who built a fort in its lofty branches.

To help you decide the type and size of tree you should plant make a sketch of your yard. You may already have made one to use in one of the other projects, if so use it. Your sketch can be rough but should include an outline of the house and any other buildings, notations about existing trees and landscaping materials and any driveways or walkways. (If you're planning to build a deck or erect a swing set someday make a note of it.) The sketch should be drawn to scale and include distances between buildings and trees and anything that might affect where you plant a tree.

You probably have a good idea where you want to plant a tree or you would not be reading this section. Locate the area on your plan and check to see if it provides ample room for the tree to spread and grow. Also for the new tree to prosper it should not be placed under the shadow of another tree. Don't locate the tree too close to your house. Refer to the plot survey of your house to be sure you are planting the tree on your property and not your neighbors.

Look overhead to see if there are utility lines running across your property in the area where you want to plant the tree. You don't want to plant a tree under overheard cables and have the cable company cut off the top of your tree when it grows too high. Avoid the problem by planting a tree in an area where it can grow unobstructed in all directions.

In order to plant even a small tree you have to dig a sizable hole so make certain that there's no underground utilities where you might plant your tree. Call your local Miss Utility Center or your local utility companies. The Miss Utility Center is a group of regional utility companies who promote their 'call before you dig' program to help you find the location of underground utility lines on your property. You give them your name and address and Miss Utility refers that information to their member utility companies in your area. The utility company sends someone to your home who marks any underground utility lines in your yard. The lines have color coded markers so you can identify which utility line it is and who to contact. Of course you don't want to plant a tree over a utility line.

Choosing a tree

Know what you want the tree to do before considering its cost and size. Do you want the tree to shade your house in the summer months or act as a wind break across a vacant lot? Do you need instant shade or can you wait a few years for the tree to grow. The cost of trees is determined by a lot of factors but in general it comes down to its size and characteristics. The smaller and the more ordinary the tree, the cheaper it will be.

Some trees are deciduous which means they drops all of their leaves in the fall. Oaks and elms are examples of this type tree. They make good shade trees in the summer and since they loose their leaves in the winter they allow the sunlight to shine through during the winter providing potential solar heating opportunities. Deciduous trees don't make good winter wind breaks.

Trees that don't loose their foliage and stay green all year are evergreens. Fir and pine are good examples of this type of tree. They can provide shade but are best as wind brakes since they hold their foliage during the year. These trees are usually fast growers.

If you're a new homeowner faced with an empty backyard your budget may determine how many and what size of trees you can purchase. If that's the case work out a long term overall landscape plan for your property with the help of a nursery or a landscape planner. Then you can add trees and materials over a period of time as your budget allows.

Safely moving a tree

If you have a pickup truck or van access to one you can save money taking your tree home but don't invest in a tree and then damage it in transport. The other option is to pay to have the tree delivered.

Lay the root ball gently on the truck or van bed. Then move it towards the front of the truck so it will not slide around if you have to step on the breaks quickly. Then cover the tree with an old blanket shielding it from wind. Wind pulls moisture out of the tree especially if it has leaves. A 15 minute ride in an open uncovered truck on a hot dry summer can severely damage your young tree. Remember 30 or 40 mile an hour winds approach hurricane force as far as the tree is concerned.

Digging the hole

The roots of trees grow more horizontally than vertically so dig a hole that's at least twice as wide as its root ball and at least 1 1/2 times as deep as its root ball. The soil line of the tree should be the same as its line at the nursery. Dig out the soil and break it up so it is loose and crumbly. Mix in organic matter with the soil and set the tree in the center of the hole. Make sure it is on a sound footing and standing up straight. Fill in around the root ball with the soil occasionally sprinkling in water to prevent air pockets from forming.

The soil should form a gentle mound with the tree growing out of the center. Use a grading rake to even the soil and spread a 2-4 inch layer of mulch over this new mound. it also helps to create a catch basin to retain as much rain water as possible so it can soak into the ground around the young tree. Pile up excess soil around the tree at the edge of the hole to form a low dike.

An overzealous lawn cutter can damage a newly planted tree by banging into it with the mower. To protect the tree trunk from such damage consider using a barrier wrap. One version is made of brown plastic that expands as the tree grows. It has holes in it so the tree can breathe and air can circulate around it. Apply the wrap to the base of the tree trunk winding it around the trunk and protect the lower portion of the trunk with it.

Be sure to protect your investment in your tree by watering the new tree often during hot spells or if there is not enough rain.

written by Gene and Katie Hamilton

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