FALL IS MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR
It may seem a bit early to you about the fall planting season, but in the plant and nursery industry, the fall planting season starts with the first of September.
Last week, I wrote my blog on gardening tasks and thoughts for fall. Now, I want to go into greater detail on the proper PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS. Everyone here at The Great Big Greenhouse wants you to have success with planting this season. We want all your plants not only to survive, but also to thrive. This is why all our shrubs and trees carry a one-year warranty.
Before I get into the greater detail of planting, I want to talk about our weather. We had an incredibly cool August. But, on the downside, it was a little dry. Our surface soil is dry. But we can easily remedy this problem with proper watering.
Now, let’s get down to business and talk about PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS.
CONTAINER-GROWN PLANTS
I suggest that you water the plants thoroughly just before you start digging the hold. You want the plant roots to be saturated. You want to dig your hole 2 to 3 times as wide as the container, but not as deep. Make hole depth so that the level of the soil is about 1 or 2 inches above the soil level. Remember “plant it high it won’t die” / “plant it low it won’t grow”> When you pull the plant out of its container be sure to “score” the sides ( meaning loosen the root system that has been growing in a circle. Loosening the matted roots will open up the soil so that water and nutrients can get inside the core of the root system. Then place the plant in the hole and backfill with amended soil ( add leaf compost, composted cow manure, planting mix, and blend with the existing soil. Now is the time to add ESPOMA BIO-TONE into the hole. Bio-Tone is a root stimulator. I plant nothing without using Espoma Bio-Tone. As you back fill then be sure to water as you go. The weight of the water will assist you in patting down the soil in the hole. BE SURE THAT YOU KEEP THE SOIL AWAY FROM THE TRUNK OF THE PLANT. Remember “roots are roots and trunks are trunks”. As a last step will be to add an inch or two of mulch as a finishing touch.
BALLED AND BURLAPPED PLANTS
You want to dig the hole the same as I detailed above. Once you place the plant in the hole then you want to remove all rope, twine, and tying material. Keep the burlap on. It is serving a purpose in keeping the rootball together and not falling apart. If the rootbnall has a wire cage around it then you want to try to remove the top half at least. This will keep the roots from girdling. Then you start planting with this wonderful, amended soil you made. Water as you plant.
For both container and burlap plants you want to be diligent about timely watering. A slow, thorough hand watering is best. And, you want to water a couple times a week.
Earlier I mentioned our one year warranty on all trees and shrubs. Are you aware of our 3 YEAR WARRANTY PACKAGE? To qualify for our 3 year warranty package all it takes from you is to buy the ESPOMA BIO-TONE, PLANTING MIX, AND A BAG OF MULCH. All these items are needed with properly planting anyway. To me, it is pretty simple process to quality.
“LET’S GO FALL AND LET’S PLANT A LITTLE HAPPINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!”