Transplanting Shrubs & Perennials

            I mentioned planting and transplanting trees a few days ago; the same applies to all shrubs and perennials.

            Tips in doing this are the same as planting the trees; Dig them as big as you can to keep as many roots with the plant as possible.

            Elevate the root balls by a quarter or third in a hole that has been dug at least twice the size of the root ball, if planting in clay. Sandy soils need the backfill to be more humus in its content for feeding and moisture holding ability.

            In sandy situations the hole size depends on the sandiness of the soil; a beach sand planting needs a bigger hole than in dark sandy topsoil locations.

            Watering from now until the hoses get packed up will vary based on the soil. Clay soils should be checked before dumping more water on them. Do this with a stick pushed down alongside the root ball. If it comes up wet, back off on the watering; if moist, hold off still; if dry, give it a shot. 

            Sandy soils need no checking, they are self draining. Good black dirt soils should be checked, but are not as critical.

            Putting down mulch around the planted newbie’s will hold in some of the moisture and reduce heaving in the spring.

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at NiemeyerLandscaping@Gmail.com or post a comment on this Blog. Like us on Facebook