A Primer on Planting
When Your Plant Depends on Where You Live When you plant a tree or a flower or a vegetable you're putting it in a new environment so remember you're moving a living thing from the shelter of its container out into foreign territory. You want to make the transition for the plant as simple and stress-free as possible. The National Garden Bureau explains their simple formula to calculate the number of plants needed to fill an area. 1. Measure the area of your garden and calculate its square footage (width X length = square feet). If the area is irregularly shaped - oval, round or long and winding - a rough estimate is good enough. 2. Use the chart below to estimate the number of plants you need. You will probably want to get at least a few more than you needed, just in case some are damaged by weather, animals or pests. Example: a 125 sq. ft. garden, using plants recommended to be spaced 10-inches apart needs approximately 180 plants.
Note: If you are using plants with different spacing recommendations in a single area, estimate the square footage you will be using for each plant type. When Your Plant Depends on Where You Live The ideal time to plant is when the soil and air temperature are warm enough for nurturing and supporting plant life. To find out when the danger of frost in your area has passed talk to neighbors who are gardeners and ask at your local nursery or garden center. The United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) publishes a Plant Hardiness Zone Map used by home gardeners and commercial nurseries to determine when plants should be shipped to different parts of the country so they will survive if planted on receipt. Learn what zone you live in and you'll use the information often especially if you order from gardening catalogs because mail order plants are often catalogued by the zones in which they can survive and thrive. If you bring plants home before you can plant them acclimate them to their new environment. Keep them moist and protected from strong winds. Move them out into the full sun slowly so they'll adjust to their new surroundings. The process is similar to bringing new seedlings sown indoors to the outside and it's called hardening off. By introducing your new plant to its new environment gradually you will give it a chance to toughen up so it has the strength to ward off pests and withstand the elements once outside. Prepare a site for planting cultivate the soil so it is loose and granular. Use a garden fork and hoe or shovel to loosen the soil and dislodge large clumps. Remove any old roots, shells, or other debris so the soil crumbles in your hand. To break up large clods in the soil use a stirrup hoe or hand cultivator. If you're adding fertilizer or compost now is the time to mix it in as you turn over the soil. Water the plants a few hours before transplanting them so they will slide easily out of their containers. Pinch off any open blooms on the plants and snip off any withered leaves. Position the plants by arranging them on the soil making sure that you allow plenty of growing room around them. When you're pleased with their arrangement put them off to the side and dig holes for the plants. Dig the hole with a trowel for small plants and use a shovel for larger holes. The hole should be larger than the container holding the plant. If you're adding plant food do it at this time. Carefully remove the plant from its container by gently squeezing the sides of the plant container to dislodge the soil. If it refuses to come out tap the container against a sharp corner like a fence or porch post to loosen the dirt inside the container. If the plants are small and contained in plastic trays just pop the individual plants out by pressing on the bottom of the tray. Handle the plants with care holding them by the ball of soil and root. Poke a hole on the sides of the soil around the root to open it up a little. Place the plant into the hole and fill in the soil around it. Make sure that you don't bury the plant too deeply or let it stick out of the ground. Try to set the plant at the same soil level that it was in the container. Level the soil around it and cover with a layer of mulch for protection and to conserve moisture. Planting annuals and perennials Annual flower and vegetable plants go through their life cycle in one year which means they live and die in one growing season. They're the short sprinters in the garden which you can start from seed or buy as seedling. They grow strong and flourish to add instant color and depth in flower beds, around foundation plantings and in flower boxes and containers. Perennials, on the other hand are in for the long haul. They're the long term residents of gardens which take more than one year to complete their growing cycle. During winter they rest under a layer of mulch while their roots make new plants that will sprout up the following spring. Many perennials are herbaceous which means they die down to the ground when the growing season is over and then reappear next season. Most plants sold at retail stores have an ID tag attached to them or tucked into the soil. This tag can be confusing by how it identifies a plant. For example, one of our favorite ground covers, Bugle will be called "Ajuga reptans" which is its Latin or botanical name. If you're looking for a certain plant and can't remember its name describe it by its characteristics and more than likely someone at the nursery can pinpoint it. They'll probably know the Latin name, too. Here's a few ideas about designing flower beds so they complement other plantings and landscaping materials. In most cases you want to position tall plants as a backdrop behind lower growing varieties. A popular design is a three-tier affect such as having iris or other tall stately flowers along the back of a bed with bushier plants in front of them bordered with low growing flowers or border plants as edging material in front. Edging a garden bed can be formal with straight lines or more informal and natural looking with curved lines that define it. Many gardeners use perennials as the backbone of their garden and fill in with brightly colored annuals like geraniums and petunias. By combining annuals and perennials in your landscaping and garden plans you'll be guaranteed both lushness and variety throughout the years. Combined with shrubbery beds of colorful flowers will soften and add texture to the landscape. Ground cover or any low growing plant that spreads easily will blend various different plantings together which unifies them very nicely. If your goal is to add visual interest to a boring green landscape consider using a bold statement with color. Choose a monochromatic scheme which features various types of flowers in one striking color. An array of bright pinks and fuscias in a corner of a yard can call attention to an otherwise ordinary landscape with an eye-catching affect. If you like to bring your flowers indoors for flower arrangements or for drying you might want to have a cutting garden. If that's the case choose a medley of colorful flowers and tie it all together with a border of white alyssum or unimposing ground cover. For constant color and interest in a garden choose flowers that bloom at various times of the season instead of all at the same time. If the garden space is large plan room for a stone path or some kind of walkway to easily access the plants. Preparing the bed and planting The planting technique for both annuals and perennials is the same. Your aim is to secure the plant firmly in the new soil and provide nutrients and water necessary to nurture growth. To help the plant establish and stimulate its root system pinch back any growth before planting. If a plant ID tag says it spreads to 3 feet wide, believe it and don't buttonhole it in a tight spot where it has no room to grow. On the other hand, if your goal is to fill a barren area with a bed of flowers you can get creative about various ways to lay out the plants. When you're replacing annuals from last season or stocking a bed filled with perennials you have to work within an already established framework. Before you plant anything prepare the soil and mix in organic matter or fertilizer. Work the soil by digging and cultivating the soil to stir up old roots and weeds and then add soil amendments. Use your hands to crumble up small clods of soil. Before removing the seedling and plants from their containers position them in the bed so you can get an idea of how everything will look. It's sort of a dress rehearsal. Set the plants in the bed and move them around to find the arrangement that suits you best. When satisfied use a hand trowel to dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball of the plant and set the plant in place at the same level as the ground making sure the plant is straight and upright and the roots are firmly planted. Move the soil around until it covers the base of the plant. When planting seedlings from plant cells or flats gently remove each individual seedling from its plastic compartment by squeezing the sides and carefully easing it up and out. This process works best if the soil has been moistened with water first so the soil holds together protecting the roots. Poke your finger into the soil and if it is dry and crumbly give it a sprinkling of water before removing it from its compartment. To remove a larger plant such as one in a 6 inch plastic container make sure that it is moist and then turn it upside down carefully and knock it against the edge of something. The shock will loosen the soil away from the inside of container and the entire plant will come out in one piece. You can also work your hands around the outside of the container pushing it gently to create a space between it and the soil. When you remove the plant from its container you'll see how its root system is held together by the soil. Gently poke a finger hole into the soil to loosen it. This will give the plant a little air space for its roots to grow. Water the newly planted seedlings and plants after setting them in the ground. If the plant was in a fibrous container you can plant both it and the plant in the ground together since the container will decompose naturally. written by Gene and Katie Hamilton
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