Transcript Installing & Maintaining Woody Plants

Installing & Maintaining
Woody Plants
(For Proper Establishment & Health)
Alicia Lamborn
Horticulture Agent
Baker County Extension Service
When Should I Plant?

Dormant Season is usually best. (Jan-Feb)
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A must for field grown/B&B trees
Containerized Plants –
any time of year if provided
with irrigation, but should try
to time planting with the
coming of the rainy season.
Preparing to Plant
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Weed removal
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Hand pull
Use herbicides or smother
with black plastic or thick
newspaper

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Post emergent herbicides 2
to 3 weeks before planting
Loosen soil
(tilling or turning)

Depth of 6” or more
Amending the Soil

Most plants prefer moist
but well drained soils

Organic matter (compost)
has many benefits…

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Provides slow release of
nutrients to plants
Increases water and nutrient
holding capacity of the soil
Amending the Soil

Incorporating organic matter – add to
entire planting area, not just the planting
hole
•
Add at least 3” of manure compost, peat,
mushroom compost, or composted pine
bark (fines)
•
Woody trees and shrubs prefer pH = 6.0
Preparing to Plant
Before digging the hole…
Step 1:
Locate the point where the top-most root
emerges from the trunk (it should be
within the top 2 inches of the ball)
Locate the Top-most Root

Remove excess soil from the top of the root-ball
so the top-most root is within the top 2” of soil
Three inches of
soil and media
were removed
from the top of
this root ball
Locate the Top-most Root
The point where the top-most root
meets the trunk of the tree should be
no more than 2”deep in the root ball.
Preparing to Plant
Before digging the hole…
Step 2:
Measure the distance between the topmost root and the bottom of the root ball.
This will determine how deep to dig the
hole.
Digging the Hole: Planting Depth
Dig the hole slightly shallower than the
depth/height of the plant’s root ball.
Digging the Hole: Planting Width
Dig the planting hole as wide as possible -2-3 times the width of the root ball is best.
Cut Circling Roots
Cut roots that circle
the outside edge of
the root ball
New roots will grow
quickly into backfill
soil following cutting
Balled and Burlapped (B&B)
Wire baskets and burlap should be removed from the
root ball (as much as physically possible)
Synthetic
materials will
not decompose
and therefore
inhibit root
growth.
Straighten the Tree
Before adding
backfill, be sure to
check that the tree
is straight by
looking at it from
two perpendicular
directions.
Backfill
Backfill soil should only contain the native
landscape soil – no garden soil, potting soil, top
soil, organic compost, rocks/pebbles, etc.
What about fertilizer?

No fertilizer in the planting hole!

There is no need to mix it with the backfill soil or place it at
the bottom of the planting hole because most roots end up
close to the soil surface (top 6” to 12” of soil).

Whether in the planting hole or on the soil surface,
adding soluble (quick release) fertilizer to a newly
installed plant can burn roots if too much is applied.
This will injure the plant and could kill it.

A newly planted tree or shrub should be
fertilized 4-6 weeks after planting.

Keep backfill off
the top of the
rootball.

Water the backfill
as you fill the hole
to remove air
pockets.
Bad Fill!!
Good Fill
Mulch
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Retains soil moisture
(reducing evaporation)
Minimizes water needs
of plants
Inhibits weed growth
Improves soil fertility
(organic mulches)
Eases maintenance
Neat, uniform
appearance
Mulching

Apply a 2-3 inch layer
(after settling) of mulch to
landscape beds and trees


Mulch out to a tree’s drip
line or beyond, at least an
eight-foot diameter circle
Apply a thinner layer of
mulch over the root ball,
but keep it at least 2-3”
from the trunk
Improper Mulching
Never pile mulch in a volcano-like manner against the trunk.
This cuts off oxygen to roots, can rot the trunk, can keep
roots too wet (esp. in poorly drained soils), and can even
repel irrigation and rain water.
Should woody plants be
pruned at planting?
Establishment Time Period
After Transplanting:
Trees and shrubs provided with regular irrigation
through the first growing season require about…
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3 months (hardiness zones 9-11) to
6 months (zones 7-8),
per inch of trunk diameter to fully establish roots in
the landscape soil.
This means that a 1 ½ inch caliper tree will take
approximately how long to get established?
Establishment

Tree and shrub
irrigation bags can help
Irrigation

Research clearly shows that recently transplanted
trees and shrubs establish most quickly with light,
frequent irrigation.
At each irrigation…

Trees: apply about 2 to 3 gallons of water per inch of
trunk diameter over the root ball.
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Shrubs: Shrubs planted from 3-gallon containers may
require as little as one gallon of irrigation water applied
every eight days in north Florida.

There is no need to wet the soil outside the root ball
except during dry/drought periods.

Never add irrigation if the root ball is saturated.
Tree Irrigation Schedule
Size of Nursery
Stock
Irrigation Schedule
for Vigor
Irrigation Schedule
for Survival
< 2 inch caliper
Daily for 2 weeks; every
other day for 2 months;
weekly until established.
Twice weekly for 2-3
months
2-4 inch caliper
Daily for 1 month; every
other day for 3 months;
weekly until established.
Twice weekly for 3-4
months
> 4 inch caliper
Daily for 6 weeks; every
other day for 5 months;
weekly until established.
Twice weekly for 4-5
months
Shrub Irrigation Schedule
Location
Irrigation Schedule
for Vigor
Irrigation Schedule
for Survival
North Florida
Every 2-4 days
Every 8 days
Tree and Shrub Maintenance
 Watering
 Fertilizing
 Mulching
 Pruning
 Pest
Management
 Cold
Protection
Watering After Establishment

Many established, drought-tolerant
landscape trees and shrubs require
little or no irrigation.

Shallow-rooted shrubs (azaleas) that
lack drought tolerance may require
irrigation during extended drought
periods to look their best.

After establishment, water on an
"as-needed" basis. Frequency of
irrigation will depend on soil type,
exposure to sunlight, kind of bedding
plant, and season of the year.
Fertilizing – When is it Appropriate?
Fertilization may be justified…
When faster growth is desired (increase
shoot and root growth)
 To improve flowering or fruiting
 To correct or prevent nutrient deficiencies

*Most established trees (3-5 yrs after
planting) where surrounding turf and shrubs
are fertilized, do not need additional
fertilizer.
Fertilizing Established Plants
Level of Maintenance
Amount of Nitrogen Fertilizer
Basic
1-2 pounds N / 1000 sq ft / yr
% Nitrogen in Fertilizer
Area
(sq ft)
6%
Moderate
8%
10%
12%
2-4 pounds N / 1000 sq ft / yr
14%
15%
16%
18%
20%
1
0.15 oz
1 tsp
0.1 oz
High
½ tsp
0.1 oz
½ tsp
0.1 oz
½ tsp
< 0.1 oz < 0.1 oz < 0.1 oz < 0.1 oz < 0.1 oz
4-6
1000¼sq
¼ tsp pounds
¼ tsp N ¼/tsp
tsp ft /¼yr
tsp
5
0.7 oz
1 ½ TB
0.5 oz
1 TB
0.4 oz
2 ½ tsp
0.3 oz
2 ¼ tsp
0.3 oz
2 ¼ tsp
0.25 oz
2 ¼ tsp
0.25 oz
2 ¼ tsp
0.25 oz
2 ¼ tsp
0.2 oz
2 ¼ tsp
10
1.3 oz
3 TB
1 oz
2 TB
0.8 oz
1 ½ TB
0.7 oz
1 ½ TB
0.6 oz
1 TB
0.5 oz
1 TB
0.5 oz
1 TB
0.5 oz
1 TB
0.4 oz
2 ¼ tsp
This chart explains the approximate weight of fertilizer to use for a given landscape bed area in ounces and
also in teaspoons/tablespoons to deliver ½ lb N / 1000 sq ft (the recommended rate for a single application of
quick release fertilizer). If applying a fertilizer product that has at least 30% slow-release nitrogen, these rates
can be doubled to deliver 1 lb N / 1000 sq ft. In other words, a quick release fertilizer could be applied 2-4
times per year using the amounts above, or a slow release fertilizer could be applied 1-2 times per year by
doubling the amounts above.
Maintaining Mulch

Maintain a 3” layer of mulch around all
plants to conserve water, block weeds, etc.

Course materials (course pine bark) can be
maintained at a depth of 4 inches.
Cold Protection
Water 24 to 48 hours before freeze
 Tree Wraps – prevent bark splitting
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Thank you for your attention.
For more information…
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody
 http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu
 Solutionsforyourlife.com
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