Plant
Care
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Planting with Care
Healthy Beginnings
No amount of watering or fertilizer will compensate
for improper planting. On many occasions I have puzzled over the
problems of plants only to discover they were planted six inches
too deep or with their roots bound tightly. There isn't any mystery
to good planting, just some common sense techniques.
Dig the Hole First
Before you unpot your plant, prepare a hole fifty
to a hundred percent larger than the plant's root ball. Work some
compost, peat moss or other soil conditioners into the soil you've
removed. When planting smaller perennials or bedding plants, rather
than preparing individual holes, it may be simpler to amend a larger
area and use a trowel to place the individual plants. In the case
of large trees, it is generally best not to amend the soil too much.
The roots of the tree will try fairly quickly to spread past the
prepared area, and if the composition of this soil is significantly
different from that of the surrounding area, the roots can have
trouble getting past the barrier. If the tree is going to have to
survive in a primarily clay soil, you won't be doing it any favors
by creating a super-rich loam immediately around the root ball.
Just Deep Enough
Place some soil in the center of your hole creating
a mound. Generally, you want the soil line to be at the same point
it was in the pot. But since the loose soil you'll be using to fill
your hole is bound to settle some, start with the plant sitting
a little higher. Then when it settles it should be at the correct
height. It is usually better to err on the side of having the plant
too high rather than too low. Some plants, like rhododendrons, actually
like to sit with the top of the root ball an inch or so above the
soil line, especially if you have a slow-draining, clay soil. When
the hole is ready, unpot the plant. Hold it upside down, and with
one hand holding the plant in place, hit the bottom of the pot with
the palm of your other hand. Now make sure the plant isn't root-bound.
If the roots have formed a solid wall around the inside of the pot,
you'll need to gently loosen them or carefully score the outside
layer. If planted with the roots left constricted, the plant is
unable to send out new roots beyond this barrier and can actually
strangle itself. As you place the plant in the hole, try to gently
spread the roots atop the mound of soil.
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