Planting Trees and Shrubs

Plantings properly incorporated into an overall design create a landscape that is both beautiful and functional. If care is taken to transplants shrubs and trees correctly, they can grow into a well-shaped, healthy plants. However, if preparation is careless and improperly done, plants can become poorly shaped, weak, and may eventually die.

Container grown plants are readily available in Florida. These plants can be planted anytime of the year provided proper moisture levels are maintained. Plants grown in containers too long become "root bound". This condition can be treated using pruning shears or a serrated knife to make slices one to two inches deep going from the top of the root ball to the bottom. Make these slices in three or four places around the root ball. Pull the roots growing along the outside of the root ball away from the root ball. The following are guidelines for planting container grown plants:

1. Dig the hole two to three times wider and as deep as the root ball.
2. Place the root ball into the planting hole and backfill the bottom half of the space around the root ball with existing soil. Tamp the soil to settle it around the root ball, but not so heavily as to compact the soil.
3. Finish filling the hole with loose, unamended soil and gently tamp again. Settle the soil by pushing a hose with running water in and out of the backfill soil all around the hole.
4. Construct a three-inch-high water ring around the edge of the root ball to hold irrigation water.
5. Mulch with a two to three inch layer of organic or inorganic material. Pull mulch three inches away from the stems plants.

Planting balled and burlapped plants are similar to planting container plants. Care should be taken not to disturb the soil ball, as this would severely damage the root system. Complete removal of natural burlap before planting is not necessary, but always remove burlap from the top of the root ball where it is subject to drying out. Dry burlap repels water, making if difficult to rewet the root ball. Remove synthetic burlap entirely after setting the plant in the hole. Remove any nylon twine tied around the plant stem. Nylon twine does not rot and will eventually girdle the stem.

Generally, the procedures for planting balled and burlapped plants are suitable for bare-root palms. Palms should be planted during the warm rainy months for optimum success. They should be planted no deeper than they grew in the nursery and watered frequently when grown in well-drained soils.

The success of a planting depends greatly on good watering practices. Adjust the watering schedule to provide moist but not saturated conditions until establishment. Water the plants "as needed" thereafter. Container grown plants may require frequent irrigation when planted in well-drained soils. Soils with smaller pore spaces hold water with greater tension than soils with larger pore spaces. Therefore, water in the landscape soil is held with higher tension than water held in the large pore of the container medium. Water moves in the direction of greatest tension, so water is removed from the container medium as the landscape soil drains. This is the reason why water should be applied directly to the root system of the newly set plant.