Dr. Grow: The right environment: Plants give back what you provide them

Last week I was privileged to attend the beginning of school chapel service at my granddaughter's school. I was amazed to see so many parents, grandparents and other interested individuals at the service. Among those in attendance were a syndicated columnist, business owner, accountant, lawyer, physician, truck driver, teacher, salesman, architect, housewife, nurse and laborer.

It gave me the warm fuzzies to know that such a cross-section of individuals with different backgrounds were coming together for one purpose -- to show support and love for their kids. What a way for kids to grow up. They live in an environment of love, encouragement and caring. They can't help but grow and thrive in such surroundings.

After I left the chapel service, I went to a friend's home and began to put in a small landscape. As I was working, I couldn't help but think that plants react to the environment in which they are placed, in the same way that kids do. If the environment is good for plants as it is for kids, then, just as kids do, plants grow and thrive. If the environment is bad, plants may survive, they may survive but do poorly, or they may eventually die. So it is with kids.

I have often watched individuals, as well as so-called professionals, plant plants by just digging a hole, dropping the plant in the hole, backfilling, giving it a little water and then walking away thinking that's all that needs to be done. If all parents raised their kids in such a manner, we would be living in a chaotic society.

So how do you provide the right environment for plants to survive, grow and thrive? First you must place plants in the correct light conditions, sun vs. shade. Then you must also select plants that can tolerate our growing zones.

Soil the most important

Since plants are rooted in soil, probably the most important thing you can do is to prepare that soil in which you are going to plant your shrubs, trees or flowers. Just digging a hole, putting the plant in the hole and backfilling may be adequate, but for your plants to really thrive you must be more particular than that.

Most soils in the Heartland contain a high amount of clay. Clay contains small particles that have electric charges on their surface. These electric charges hold the small soil particles together.

Since clay is made up of small particles, there is little space between the particles for water and air storage. The small interparticle space plus the characteristic of particles being electrically bonded to each other make for a good brick or clay pot, but not necessarily good soil for plants to live in.

If your soil has a lot of clay in it, then you must amend the soil in order for plants to thrive. Initially when I tell people that they need to amend their clay soil, they ask if they need to put sand in the soil. Some sand in the soil mixture is good, but by itself sand is not enough.

In order to break the electric charges between clay particles you must either add something to the soil that will break some of the electric charges between clay particles. The net result is clumps of clay particles that separate from each other. These clumps of particles have large interparticle spaces and allow better root penetration, moisture penetration and air penetration.

Gypsum or organic matter

There are two soil additives that can change the structure of the clay in you landscape soil. The first one is calcium sulfate or gypsum. It neutralizes the electric charges on some of the clay particles. Gypsum will not change soil pH, but will result in a more friable soil.

The other product that you can use is organic matter. Organic matter can be in the form of dead leaves, grass clippings, manures or peat moss. When using dead leaves, grass clippings or manures, make sure that they are well composted before you add them to the soil. If you add them to the soil before composting, wait several months before planting desired plants.

Uncomposted plant material will be broken down in soil over time by naturally occurring fungi in the soil. These fungi require nitrogen to do their work. This nitrogen is pulled from the surrounding soil. If you have plants in this uncomposted soil organic matter mixture, there will be a lack of nitrogen because of the fungi. Your plants will look burned and anemic because there is no nitrogen in the soil for them to use.

Probably the best product to use when adding organic matter to your soil is peat moss. This already composted product, collected primarily in Canada, can be added directly to your sod and then immediately planted with plants. Peat moss will help neutralize clay bonds. It will also add waterholding capacity to your soil.

When preparing a shrub bed, I want to use a mixture of two-thirds soil and one-third peat moss by volume. I usually put two to three inches of peat moss over bed area and then till it in to a depth of six to nine inches. If I am planting a single plant, then a dig a large hole and mix the soil taken out of the hole with peat moss using the same two-thirds soil to one-third peat moss ratio.

I know that it takes time and money to prepare soils properly before planting. I know that it is much easier to just dig a hole, plop in the plant and go on your merry way. But if you want your plants to survive and thrive, then spend the time, effort and money to do it right in the beginning.