The
following information is to help you maintain your plantings
so your garden always looks beautiful and healthy. If
you have a question or encounter a problem not covered
in these pages, please don’t hesitate to call!
Watering Instructions
This is the most important factor determining
the success of your plants . Almost all plant deaths
are the result of improper watering. It is important
to thoroughly soak the root ball when watering; then
it should have a chance to slightly dry out before being
watered again.
In general, your new plantings should be thoroughly
soaked twice the first week. From then on, each plant
will need to be watered about once every 7-10 days throughout
the growing season. Groundcovers and perennials may need
to be watered 2-3 times a week.
If you frequently water your lawn, and water continually
runs into the landscape beds, the trees and shrubs will
drown. Mulch retains a great deal of moisture in the soil,
so the beds need much less water than your lawn.
Plants that are in a wooded area, or under a large tree,
can dry out very rapidly due to the increased competition
for water. Therefore, these plants will need to be watered
more frequently.
Water requirements vary with the size of the plant,
the amount of light it gets, the degree of competition,
and the type of soil it’s planted in. One of the
best ways to determine if it’s time to water is
to pull the mulch aside and see if the root ball has dried
out since the previous watering. Please be aware of
your plant’s water needs. We will charge for replacing
plants that were not cared for.
Insects
Some insect damage can be expected, and in small numbers
won’t harm the plants. However, certain insects
reproduce very rapidly and should be controlled.
A couple of ‘environmentally friendly’ ways
to control insects are with an insecticidal soap, which
dries out the insects, or horticultural oil, which smothers
them. There are several brands on the market. Please follow
the manufacturer’s directions carefully.
Fertilizing
Each fall your plants will need to be fertilized with
10-5-5. Spread a wide band of it, starting at the trunk
and extending to the dripline (outer edge of foliage).
Large trees- 2 cups Small trees- 1 cup Shrubs- ½ cup
Groundcover- broadcast lightly over entire area
Miracid is a water soluble fertilizer that can be sprinkled
on the leaves and roots of plants to green them up quickly,
and will promote more rapid growth.
Weeds
Some weeds may germinate in the bed due to the soil
being disturbed, or simply from blowing in from the lawn.
Some hand weeding may be necessary, but if a persistent
problem develops, you may want to use Roundup.
Roundup can be sprayed directly on the weed foliage
without damaging the surrounding shrubs. Roundup will
kill everything you spray it on, so make sure the spray
doesn’t drift onto the shrubs or lawn.
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