Dr. Grow: Remedy for success in planting

The shrub on the left is ready for planting. The one on the right has to be cleaned first, if it's going to flourish.

Lately, I've been asked the same question everywhere I go. "Is it time to plant yet?" I think cabin fever has taken its toll on most people. Sure it's time to plant trees and shrubs. I do think I would hold off on tomatoes.

Most people are so excited about getting out of the house in spring and getting their hands into the dirt, that they forget about taking a few basic steps to ensure success when planting. So here is my recipe for success when planting container-grown nursery stock.

Most of the soils in the Heartland are heavy clays. You can improve the quality of these clays by adding peat moss to them. If you are planting just one shrub, dig a hole two times the diameter, but not deeper, than the root ball. Make sure the sides and bottom of the hole are rough, not smooth. Mix the excavated soil with peat moss in the ratio of 2/3 soil with 1/3 peat. You will use this soil to backfill around the shrub roots later.

If you are planting an entire shrub bed, place 3 inches of peat moss over the planting tree. Then till this layer of peat into the soil to a depth of 6 inches.

Plants grown in pots usually have very fibrous and quite often pot-bound roots. If you plant shrubs like this directly into the soil, the roots will continue to grow in a circle and never move into the new soil.

To eliminate this problem, remove the pot from the root wad of the shrub. Next, shoot a jet of water at the root wad. Do this until a lot of free root ends separate from the root wad. Performing this one step will do more for planting success than anything else.

Now you can tease the roots into the new soil. Place the potted tree or shrub in the center of the hole. Be sure to handle the plant by the root wad, not by the stem.

Backfill the hole with the soil-peat mixture. After the hole is filled with the mixture, saturate the soil in the hole with a solution of root stimulator and water. After the soil mixture has settled, repeat the backfilling and watering process. Do this until all of the soil mixture is placed back into the hole.

Watering will eliminate all of the air pockets that may form during backfilling. This ensures good soil-root contact throughout all of the root zone.

The root stimulator includes a fertilizer that is high in phosphorous and a root growth hormone. Phosphorous is a nutrient needed to promote good root growth. The root growth hormone also stimulates the production of new roots.

You may want to place 3 to 4 inches of mulch over the root area of the newly planted tree or shrub. Be sure no mulch is piled up on the stem. Over a long period of time, the tissue in the stem will stay too moist, and a fungus may develop that damages the stem.

If you are planting a tree, stake it. Winds may cause the tree to shift in the soil. This shifting will shear the new roots that are trying to develop.

Finally, make sure you monitor the water needs of the plant for the first year. Let the soil dry out between waterings. Feel the soil with your fingers to determine when to water. If the soil feels dry 2 to 3 inches below the surface, go ahead and water. Do not rely on the weather forecast, nor do you want to rely on the fact that it just rained. The feel texture should determine when you water.

It is critical you monitor the water needs of the plant during the summer months. You may need to water one or two times a week. On the other hand, if the temperatures really climb and the wind blows a lot, you may have to water the shrubs more than twice a week.

If you are going to the expense of planting a new tree or shrub, ensure the success of your planting by taking a few simple steps. Amend the soil where you are going to plant, prepare the root system for planting, backfill properly and monitor the new plant's water needs throughout the first growing season. By taking these steps, the expense of the tree and the labor put into planting it will become a good investment.