Planting Trees and Shrubs

By Jos Van Hage

Spring is a great time of year to be planting shrubs, trees and  erennials. These can all be planted throughout the summer and early fall but if you plant them now you will not only get to enjoy them throughout the season but they will get a seasons growth on them as well.

Perennials are popular because they are a good investment as you only need to plant  them once and they come back each year and as they get larger they can be divided. The selection of perennials is increasing every year and you can have lots of color in the landscape by planting perennials that bloom at different times and planting perennials that have colorful foliage.

Trees and shrubs are the bones of a landscape and are there for the long term if planted correctly. You want to make sure that you spend the extra time to prepare the site properly and also use good quality soil and bone meal so that the plants roots will have a good foundation.

How to plant trees, shrubs and perennials depends on the soil type you are on. If you are on well drained soil, you need to dig a hole twice the depth and width of the root ball of the plant. Then fill the hole with water. Mix some good outdoor planting soil with your soil and place some of it back in the hole. Sprinkle a handful of bone meal in the bottom of the hole before placing your plant in it.

If the plant is in a plastic  container, carefully remove it from the container trying not to disturb the root ball and place it in the hole.

If it is in a pressed paper container (deciduous trees often come in this type of container) leave the plant in the container but cut holes in the sides of the container so that it breaks down more quickly. Sprinkle a handful of bone meal in the hole and then place the pot with the plant inside the hole.

Sometimes trees and shrubs have their root balls wrapped in burlap with string holding it in place. Remove the string around the main stem of the plant and fold the burlap back so that it is not surrounding the stem of the plant before covering it with soil.

When planting trees, shrubs and perennials you want to plant them so that the soil line of the shrub is equal to the existing soil line. In other words plant them at the same depth as they are in the pot. Do not ever bury the stem as this will result in killing the plant.

After the plant has been placed in the soil at the right depth fill in the hole with the remaining soil pressing it down with your foot to remove any air pockets and making sure that the plant is straight. Make a dike around the new planting so that when you water, the water will not run away.

Always water the plant in well and use a transplant fertilizer for the first time water as this aids in the root development as well as help prevent transplant shock. To help keep the plants roots moist you can use a few inches of mulch around the plant. It is very important not to allow the plant to go dry as it does not have an established root system.

If you are on clay soil that has poor drainage you would use a different planting method. To see how well your soil drains you can dig a hole and fill it with water and then check to see how long it takes for the water to drain out. If it takes longer than 30 minutes you have poor drainage.

To plant on soil with poor drainage you need to plant on top of the soil so that the plants roots do not sit in water for a long period of time and rot. You would first dig a hole up to the hardpan which is normally 6-8 inches. The hardpan is where the soil becomes very hard. Sprinkle some bone meal in the hole and then place the plant on top. Next, using a high quality outdoor potting soil mound the soil around the root ball of the plant up the plants soil line. Build a dike around the outer perimeter of the mound so that you can water it without the water running away and then treat it as you would if planting in a well drained soil.

When planting deciduous trees you may want to stake the tree so that it grows straight and is protected from strong winds as it does not have a strong root system to hold it in place. Stake them by using a heavy metal tree stake inserted into the earth two feet deep and 6-8 inches away from the main stem of the tree. Using tree rope, jute or any other soft padded material (do not use plastic or wire as this can cut into the trunk of the tree), tie the tree to the stake 3-4 feet above the soil level.

Another thing to keep in mind when planting larger trees is knowing how tall they will grow so that they will not interfere with power lines in the years to come.

So, take the time to plan before you plant!

-Jos
    

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Garden Centres in the Prince George Region:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill road

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