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WOODY ORNAMENTALS: TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES |
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KEY CONCEPTS
II. Acquiring Woody Ornamentals
III. Planting Woody Ornamentals
IV. Maintaining Woody Ornamentals
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ACQUIRING WOODY ORNAMENTALS
After making an informed decision on which plants to include in the landscape, gardeners must know what to look for when acquiring the plants. Purchasing at the nursery where the plants were grown reduces the potential for improper handling. If a trip to the nursery is not possible, purchasing from a garden center staffed by knowledgeable professionals ensures that the plants have been given proper care.
The tree or shrub should have its normal, natural seasonal color. Off-color can indicate nutritional problems or improper care. A plant that grows in the shade will burn if it is displayed at a garden center in full sun after growing in a LATH HOUSE in the nursery.
Closely examine plants for disease symptoms. Check for insects and eggs on the foliage and branches. If you notice there has been considerable unseasonable foliage drop, look for a cause.
The roots should fill the container or soil ball without being too crowded. The soil ball of balled and burlapped plants should be solid, unbroken and evenly round. The roots should be a light tan to white color. Dark-colored roots are not healthy.
A well-grown plant should have the natural form for that species. It should look full with well-placed branches. All sides should be approximately equal. Excessive shearing usually indicates a problem. Judicious pruning while in the nursery, results in a well-formed tree or shrub. You should not expect to do much pruning at the time of planting to have a quality plant.
Broken branches or a loose soil ball indicate rough handling of the plant. The plant should be firmly supported by the soil.
The size at the time of purchase influences the price. Large plants may fill the space more quickly; however, they may take a longer time to adjust to transplanting. Often a small plant will adjust more quickly. Most plants grow much faster when they are young.
Trees, shrubs and vines can be purchased bare-root, balled and burlapped or container-grown. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.
Bare-root plants are grown in the field or in artificial medium. The soil or medium is washed from the roots before packaging and shipping. Then the roots are wrapped with a moist medium, such as sphagnum peat, and packaged. Bare-root plants usually are limited to deciduous plants, such as roses, fruit and nut trees, and some trees and shrubs. They are ideal for mail-order purchasing because they are lightweight.
They are shipped for planting when the plant is dormant and are ideal for early-spring and late-fall planting. A common reason for failure is from roots drying out. The roots must be kept moist. Bare-root plants should be soaked in water for a half hour before planting. Package instructions often recommend a longer soaking time. However, never soak the roots for more than 2 to 4 hours.
Bare-root plants may require additional pruning at the time of planting. Any roots that are broken or must be bent to fit into the planting hole should be pruned. Bare-root plants usually require staking until the roots become established in the soil.
Balled and burlapped plants are field-grown. When they are dug, the soil ball is covered with burlap or a plastic material to hold the soil together. Since balled and burlapped plants have been root-pruned, a fibrous root system usually develops within the root ball. The soil in the root ball must be kept moist.
This system is ideal for conifers, broadleaf evergreen and non-taproot forming trees and shrubs. They can be planted any time the soil is workable. However, balled and burlapped plants must be dug from the field when conditions are not too wet. Summer planting will require special attention to irrigation.
Although balled and burlapped plants are heavy and cumbersome to handle, they reestablish much more rapidly and successfully than container-grown plants. Be sure to remove most of the burlap once the plant is in the planting hole.
These plants are convenient and easy to handle. The medium in the container is often a mixture of bark chips and peat moss and, therefore, is lightweight. The plant grows rapidly in the medium, sometimes resulting in roots that have encircled the pot. These roots must be separated or cut to avoid the potential for ROOT GIRDLING after 12 to 20 years in the ground. Butterflying (cutting and spreading out) the roots of container-grown plants is recommended to avoid girdling roots.
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Container-grown plants can be planted any time the soil is workable. The roots that grow in a non-soil potting mix are different from those that will grow in mineral soil. Amend heavy clay soil with organic matter to improve rooting. Special attention must be given to irrigation when planting during the summer.
Take the plant out of the container when planting. If the plant does not come out of the container easily, cut the container into sections and pull it off. Pressed peat pots do not break down quickly enough and may draw off soil moisture and wick it into the atmosphere.
Because of the popularity of container-grown plants with the nursery industry, the selection is extensive.
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