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woody plants

Fall Arrived on September 21. Get Ready to Plant!

September 22, 2016

Regardless of the thermometer reading, fall is in our future! With fall comes the best time for planting many woody—as well as herbaceous—perennial plants. Plus, nurseries often have fall sales to move their existing stock.

Keys to successful fall planting
If you find plants you like, you might think: “Where can I put this particular plant?” A better question is: “What plant best fits my landscape scheme for this spot?”

  • Before you buy have a site in mind.
  • Be sure that spot meets the desired plant’s requirements for sun, moisture, and nutrients.
  • Know how much space the plant needs and how quickly that plant will spread. Don’t bring home an invasive “Backyard Bully”!
  • How about the soil pH? A soil test will tell you if you need to lime or add any nutrients.

The results of a soil test may change your mind. Consider choosing plants that will match the site characteristics. 

Woody plants have additional needs
Trees—and even large shrubs—need special attention to their future size. Pruning may not be a viable answer to a tree that is shading too much of your homestead or threatening a power line, or a shrub that’s blocking a view. Consider how the planting will work in all four seasons. And think about how your placement will affect your neighbors, too. You can’t call in a moving company to cure a poor decision if your planting outgrows its space.

Are you prepared to do your own planting?
When looking at a woody plant you intend to plant yourself, consider the size, shape, and weight of the root ball. How is the root ball contained or restrained? You’ll need to remove that container or restrainer during the planting process, so be sure you have the appropriate tools. It is best to discard burlap or wire that may restrict future growth. 

Roots
Before you plant, examine the root ball. Are there broken or circling roots? Many horticulturalists recommend carefully washing off the planting medium to correct any root problems before planting. At a minimum, remove circling or broken roots and then score or cut through the root ball to encourage root growth. For more information about root systems of woody plants see: http://gardenprofessors.com/little-ball-of-horrors/  

Planting and irrigating
Backfill with the soil you removed when you dug the planting hole, and water as you fill. Tamp the soil gently; you don’t want to compact the soil, just put it in contact with the roots. Roots will continue to grow all fall and winter as long as the soil is not frozen at their level, so keep the root ball moist.

Mulching
Finish by spreading mulch over the root ball. Not only will mulch retain moisture, but the mulch “blanket” helps maintain a stable temperature, so that a surge during a warm spell won’t cause the plant to prematurely break dormancy. But don’t mound mulch around tree trunks or shrub stems.

Pick a cool day and enjoy the exercise.

Article written Glenn Palmer, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Installation & Planting Tags fall planting, mulch, roots, shrubs, woody plants

Scorch Affects Woody Plants; Can Come from Too Much Water

August 26, 2013

Many of our landscape trees are now showing symptoms called scorch, a burnt, browning or discolored look of the foliage, sometimes accompanied by wilting of the petiole or leaf stem. This may be confined to one part of the tree or appear over the entire tree. Often the browning, discoloration or curling starts at the tips or margins of the leaves.

leaf scorch
leaf scorch

These symptoms can have a biotic (living) cause such as a bacterial scorch disease, or can result from an abitoic or cultural problem. Cultural situations may result from drought, soil toxicity, air pollutants or flooding and often come on later in the summer to early fall with uniform browning of the entire canopy or exterior leaves such as we’re seeing now.

This year (2013), we can attribute much of this decline to our excess rainfall. The tree or shrub is essentially drowning. What’s happening is that the soil has been so wet for so long that oxygen has been in short supply. This would happen particularly to trees that were deeply planted or planted in compacted soil, perhaps even many years ago.

So what to do now?  Clean up those leaves when they do fall; keep your fingers crossed and let’s see what develops next spring. If the plant is in otherwise good health it should recover.

Article written by Glenn Palmer, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Trees Tags abiotic, biotic, scorch, shrubs, trees, woody plants

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