Plant Care

Planting:

Correctly planting your new plants is an important first step in ensuring their long term survival and beauty. Below are some general guidelines for proper planting:

1. Dig your hole twice as wide and just as deep as the plants container. Keep the excavated soil close by for easy backfill.
2. Remove your new plant from its container by gently knocking around the sides of the container to loosen the root ball. Gently pull the plant from the container.
3. Use your hands or a small trowel to rough up the root ball a bit. This will encourage better root establishment.
4. Place your new plant within the hole. It should be flush or slightly above the surrounding soil.
5. Backfill around the root ball with only the excavated soil, tamping lightly to remove air pockets until you reach the top of the root ball.
6. Water your new shrub thoroughly and add a 3” thick layer of mulch over the excavated area. This will help retain moisture and prevent weeds.

Water:

Proper watering is the most important element for your plant’s survival and is critical during the establishment period. Your new plants have limited reach within their small roots. Since they use their roots to reach water within the soil, it is important during the establishment period to keep the soil consistently moist.

Watering is best done slowly and deeply. This allows the water to fully saturate the soil instead of washing away at the surface. The deep watering also encourages proper root growth.

For smaller plants (perennials and grasses) we recommend watering for roughly 20-30 seconds. Shrubs should be watered for about 60 seconds and trees should be watered at a slow trickle for 5-10 minutes.

See the chart below for watering frequency based on soil types and weather:

Weather	Daytime Temps	Light/Sandy Soil	Heavy/Clay Soil
Wet	N/A	Avoid Watering	Avoid Watering
Cool	Below 60 deg. F.	Every 3rd Day	Every 5th Day
Warm	60-80 deg F.	Every Other Day	Every 3rd Day
Hot	Above 80 deg F.	Every Day	Every Other Day

This is just a guide and you will want to inspect your new plants for signs of distress including wilting or yellowing leaves as these can be signs of both under and over watering. Check below the top 4” of soil around the plant for moisture. If it is cool and damp, watering is likely not needed. If it is dry, water should be applied.

After the establishment period ends (generally after 2 months for perennials and a growing season for trees and shrubs), watering frequency can be dialed back.