Plant Care

Plant Care: Giving your plants what they want, when they want it.

 

Caring for a plant seems like it would be a very simple thing to do. Hey, they're growing all over the place without anyone getting in the way. So why shouldn't they do well in my yard? While it's true that growing a plant is not rocket science, there can be a bit of an art to it. For example, when rainfall is a little short during the heat of the summer, we need to know when and how to provide supplemental water.

Most people don't know that the main causes of plant death are under-watering and over-watering. If a plants roots are in soil that is saturated with water, a fungus will eventually start growing on the roots that kills them. The fungus essentially causes that plant to die of thirst (because it has no roots to take in the water.) Some plants will die quickly from this, while others may never even be bothered. But there are plenty of things you can do to prevent this from happening.

There are also things you can do to get plants to grow certain ways or directions. These actions will encourage cooperation. For example, if you need or want your plants to be a darker green or grow faster, you can provide fertilizer. If they are too tall or not full enough, you can trim them. That will reduce the height while encouraging lateral growth. Even though it takes longer to prune a shrub with hand snips than with shears, if it's done correctly, the plant will take on a more natural look and will not need to be trimmed nearly as often.

There are 7 major aspects of plant care:

Soil
Sunglight
Water
Nutrients
Pruning
Insect Control
Disease Control

Find out more about providing proper plant care to your landscape.

Transplanting

Transplanting: Moving a plant from one location to another or replanting it.

Transplanting Tips

When you think of transplanting, the first thing that comes to mind may be digging a plant up from the ground and planting it somewhere else. This is definitely transplanting—but so is putting a plant in the ground from a pot or container.

There are some key principles to keep in mind for either one. It is a vulnerable time for the plant, but don't let that scare you! The main consideration when planting it is getting the roots established. If the roots never become healthy, the plant cannot thrive. You can help with this by knowing when to plant as well as how to transplant properly.

You know you need to transplant when:

• A plant has outgrown its current area
• The plant is not getting what it needs to thrive, like the correct amount of sunlight or water
• You want to re-landscape part of your yard but don't want to throw away good, healthy plant material
• A cutting or seed you started indoors is ready to be moved outside
• You're moving and don't want to lose certain plants, like that favorite rose bush

As with any landscape technique, it's important to do any kind of transplanting the right way and at the right time. For more advice on how to transplant, click here.

Annuals

Annual: Any plant that goes through its entire life cycle and dies in one growing season. Most of them are flowers.

An annual flower bed is a landscape highlight. It can draw hummingbirds and butterflies with bright, happy colors that add a cheerfulness few other plants can bring. Square footage wise, they are the most expensive part of a landscape, but there are ways to maximize their effectiveness and value—because they are truly worth it.

Some annuals are easy and carefree while others require a little more close attention and maintenance. With annuals, like any flower bed, it's best to go with solid blocks of color. That will help them to stand out the most. If you are going to use annuals in smaller beds, it's especially important to place them in locations that you want to draw peoples' eyes to such as beside walkways and doorways. They make excellent focal points.

Annuals are also great for hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers. A mixture of trailing annuals and taller annuals adds a lot of interest to these types of planters.

Click here for more information on incorporating annuals into your landscape.

Weeding

Weed: Any plant that's growing somewhere you don't want it to be. For example, an oak tree growing in the middle of a flower bed is technically a weed if it's not supposed to be growing there.

Weed Control

The two main things to understand about your weeds to get rid of them are:

• What kind of weeds they are
• Where they are growing

There are many things you can do to remove and even prevent weeds from germinating. It's vital to understand the different fertilizer options, including selective and nonselective herbicides.

Keep in mind when treating weeds that spraying weeds once may not take care of the problem. Think of it like boxing. You have to jab, jab, jab (treat a couple of times) before you get the knock-out punch.

Click here to find out more about the different types of weeds as well as weed prevention and control.

Shade Plants

Shade Plant: Any plant that grows best in lower-light environments with little to no direct sunlight.

Shade plants are built to absorb only small amounts of sunlight, and they are actually happier out of direct sunlight. In fact, in most cases, too much direct sunlight will burn or eventually kill the plant.

Shade plants are a great addition to a garden that has limited sunlight. They give you an opportunity to add some great variety to your landscape. They even tend to be a little easier to take care of than plants that need full sun because they grow more slowly. Plus, they do not dry out as easily because they do not have the hot sun beating down on them all day long.

Do keep in mind that flowering shade plants still need some sunlight to produce flowers. Plants like azaleas and camellias that have beautiful blooms that would burn if in full sun, but they would not have a good flower show if in the deep shade. It's best to plant them in locations with filtered sunlight or direct morning sunlight, which is not as intense.

Check out our Top 10 Must-Have Plants for a Shade Garden.

Green Turf Grass

Healthy Turf: The lawn is the foundation of any yard, and when your grass looks great, it frees you up to focus on other parts of your landscape.

If you want your grass to be green, the first step is to determine what kind of grass is in your yard. Different grasses various requirements about water, mowing, and fertilizer. And the good news is that having beautiful green grass is not as difficult as you might think. Just knowing the maintenance requirements will greatly improve your results. Fertilizing and mowing at the correct height can reduce weeds by keeping your grass so thick and full that the weeds have trouble competing. Mowing with sharp mower blades gives a good clean cut will further reduce stress and disease on your turf.

A very common question is "What kinds of grass will grow well in the shade?" The answer is unfortunately there's not a type of grass that thrives without sunlight. Some grasses do have a level of shade tolerance and can handle a little, but all of them prefer full sun, and they will be weaker and thinner the less sunlight they receive. Even "shade mixes" can only go so far. Yes, they will do better than most grasses but can not handle full or mostly shade. But you can landscape around this will some creativity. Here are some ideas.

Another work-reducing aspect of lawn care is staying on a good pre-emergent schedule. Pre-emergent herbicide kills weed seeds before they start growing. So, if applied at the right time they can reduce weeds in your turf before you even have to start mowing.

Learn more about the different types of turf grass—and how to keep them green—in this article: Year-Round Yard Tips on Green Grass.

What to Plant

Plant requirements: What your plants need to thrive.

How to Know What to Plant

You determine what to plant by looking at the plant requirements online or on the plant tags at the garden center. The important information is the plants maximum size, water requirements, light requirements, minimum temperatures, and bloom time or other special interest.

If you know a little information about the area you are planting in it can easily narrow down what plants would thrive there. Planting something without knowing it's proper growing conditions will end with frustration and possibly a dead plant. You'll save time and money and prevent headaches with a little extra planning on the front end. You don't want your plant to outgrow the area or get the wrong amount of sunlight.

But unfortunately, this happens all the time. It may make you think you have a black thumb. Many times a poorly performing plant isn't what you've done to take maintain it but the location in your yard. Think of it like a person doing a career they aren't suited well for. There's nothing wrong with the person or the profession—they just aren't a good match. Likewise, an azalea won't do well in the hot, full sun. Even if it survives, it will be discolored and have more insect and disease problems.

All of this is preventable! You can make your thumb greener by simply selecting the right plants.

So how do you decide what to plant? Check out our Top 5 Tips on choosing plants that will thrive in your yard.

When to Plant

Planting Time: Putting a plant into the ground at the optimum time of year depending on the type of plant and growing conditions.

Knowing When to Plant Trees and Shrubs

Good landscaping is all about good timing! You can do the right thing at the wrong time and just be wasting yours. The time of year a new plant goes into the ground determines the amount of TLC it will need before it will thrive on its own. Plant care differs by season and type of plant. That's why it's so important to know when to do what.

There are several factors that affect when you should plant something. The number one tip to consider is that root growth is the most important thing to think about. This is more important than the condition of the foliage, flowers, or anything else. If the roots don't get established and take hold, a plant cannot thrive. The first year and half of the plant's life are the most crucial time. Think of it like this: if a fish is in dirty water, it's not going to thrive. If we're breathing unclean air, it's difficult to be in really good health. The roots bring in the nutrients that enable the plant to thrive. For that reason, it's necessary for the plant to develop a strong root system as quickly as possible. That allows it to better withstand drying out during the heat of summer.

The season you're planting is the next most important. You may think that spring is the best time to plant, but it's actually not the case. Which do you think is the best? Find out the best and worst seasons to plant here.

Click here to find out the best times of year to plant trees and shrubs.

Perennial Plants

Perennials: Plants that will come back year after year often by surviving underground with its root structure.

It's hard to remember the difference between perennials and annuals! The names are confusing, but one easy way to remember is that you have to plant annuals annually. Perennials come back on their own each year. They last for several growing seasons. Perennial plants are a key part of a successful landscape. They are typically plants that require little maintenance. Most have a bloom period that makes then a highlight of the yard for weeks. Then they turn into simple foliage that blends into the background when the flowering is over.

One important thing to know about perennial plants is that they should not be cut back until the foliage begins to yellow in the fall. During the growing season, the leaves are capturing energy from sunlight to get it through the winter and have a good start and flowers the next year. So while it's tempting to trim off the leaves once the bloom is over, holding off until October or November will give you a better flower show the next year.

Click here to learn more about perennial plants and the best times to incorprorate them.

Managing Plant Growth

Plant Growth: Plant growth is a double edged sword. There are some plants you want to grow and fill out and others that you want to keep the size they are by managing their growth.

Proper maintenance practices and timing have the most impact on either of these than anything else. Fertilization and adequate water give a plant just what it needs to grow healthy and strong. Keep in mind that too much of either of these will be detrimental to the plant, but they are both necessary aspects of plant care. Also, the way you prune a plant can make it grow faster or slower, plus it will encourage the plant to be full.

There are things you can do to encourage or slow plant growth, depending on your landscape needs and wants.

Find out the best maintenance practices for each in these articles:

Year-Round Yard Tips on: Encouraging Plant Growth

Year-Round Yard Tips on: Slowing Plant Growth