General Planting Guide

Planting Guide

One of the great joys of landscaping is planting! When done properly, your plants will flourish. Your hard labour will be forgotten and replaced with an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. The suggestions below are collected from our professional staff, who have many years of combined experience.

Before Planting Trees, Shrubs and Perennials

The pre-planting care and soil preparation is an important aspect of successful planting of Nursery Stock. Whether plants are bare root, potted, or balled in burlap, it is important that the roots do not become dry. Protect the root systems from the sun and wind until they are planted.

Plant selection is critical! Plants have different growing requirements and different growing sites offer different growing conditions such as light exposure, soil types, and pests and other wildlife. The placement of plants in your landscape is equally crucial. The matured size of your plant will often be determined by its location in the landscape relative to other plants, buildings, utilities, etc.

Handling Plants

Plants are living things - handle with care. Always pick up plant material by the root ball or by the container, never by the trunk or stems. Also, plan ahead; plant as soon as possible upon receiving your plant material. Plants with root balls or in containers are heavy. Be sure you are capable of handling and transporting, or have help available to assist you. You do not want to damage your new investment or risk personal injury. If you are not going to plant your plants right away make sure to keep them watered until you do and if possible keep them in a bit more shaded area to keep them cool. 

Mulching

Mulching pays off big time for plant health and establishment in the long run. Mulching preserves soil moisture, moderates soil temperature and inhibits weed growth. Bark mulches biodegrade slowly, building organic soil matter, and enhancing the soil for healthy roots and plants. The larger the area mulched the better. A layer of mulch 3”- 4” thick is necessary to be effective. Use Landscape Fabric (Weedbarrier) under the mulch to prevent weeds and reduce maintenance.

**Make sure not to mulch too much as this can smother smaller plants, or can cause rotting of tree bark***

Planting Evergreens

Our large selection of hardy Evergreen shrubs will add year round colour and beauty to your garden. Evergreens provide a variety of shapes and textures to the landscape.

1. Prepare a hole, 8” deeper and wider than soil ball or pot of the evergreen.
2. Partially refill hole with a prepared soil mix. A good planting mix consists of mixing 2 parts of soil with 1 part Peat Moss. If you do not want to mix the soil yourself 3 way mix is an awesome alternative as it comes already mixed perfectly. You can add bonemeal or a similar fertilizer with a higher middle number (phosphorus) which helps promote root growth and gets plants established quicker. Alternatively you can sprinkle Myke in the bottom of the hole and rub it all around on the root ball before planting.
3. Evergreens should sit in the hole so that the soil is no higher or lower than it was when it was in its pot.

• If the Evergreen is in a plastic or metal container, carefully remove the pot keeping the root ball intact.  If the roots are circling at the bottom of the container (pot bound), score the bottom-sides of the root mass with a sharp tool and spread the root mass apart. This will encourage the roots to spread out as they grow.
• If the Evergreen is Balled and Burlap (B&B), it can be planted with the burlap on. Loosen burlap knot from around trunk, cut off excess burlap, fold down the remainder and fill hole with soil.
• If the Evergreen is in a fiber pot, set plant and all into hole. Cut off the sides of the pot being careful not to disturb soil around the roots. The bottom of pot can remain in ground.

4. Set plant into hole and add the remaining prepared soil mixture into the hole in layers, while gently compressing between each layer.
5. Water the area to fill all air spaces and leave a slight depression in the soil around the plant to direct water to the root area. Alternatively you can pack some of the soil around the plant to make a ring on top of the soil around the plant. This will really help keep water from running off away from the plant and will make better use of rainfalls (especially if your plant is on a slope).
6. Add a Transplant Fertilizer to the water at first watering to promote fast, strong root development. These typically have a higher middle number on them. (You do not need to do this if you chose to use Myke in the earlier step)
7. Do not allow soil to become dry.

Evergreen Care
Prune Evergreens each year in July or August to shape, control size, and maintain bushiness. Water regularly, especially during the first year. A thorough soaking is necessary in the fall just before freeze-up so that evergreens are not dry during winter. Garden netting or loose burlap will help protect branches from ice and snow.

Planting Shrubs & Hedges

We provide only the best in Nursery Plants, hardy for our 4b Zone. Some tender varieties may need special winter cover. Ask our garden experts for advice.

1. Prepare a hole, 4” – 8” deeper and wider than the root system so that roots will not be crowded.
2.  Partially refill hole with a prepared soil mix. A good planting mix consists of mixing 2 parts of soil with 1 part Peat Moss. If you do not want to mix the soil yourself 3 way mix is an awesome alternative as it comes already mixed perfectly. You can add bonemeal or a similar fertilizer with a higher middle number (phosphorus) which helps promote root growth and gets plants established quicker. Alternatively you can sprinkle Myke in the bottom of the hole and rub it all around on the root ball before planting.
3. Remove pot or wrap from the roots of the plant before placing in the hole.
4. Set plant into hole so that the top of the roots will be about 1” below grade when planting is completed.  Add the remaining prepared soil mixture into the hole in layers, while gently compressing between each layer.

• For Hedges:  Prepare a trench that is 18” deep by 18” wide and remove all sod and weeds. Plant at 18” spacing and follow the above directions.

5. Cut off weak or broken branches. As well, up to 1/3 of the top growth of trees and shrubs may be pruned off if needed to compensate for root injury during transplanting. Use sharp pruners.
6. Water the area to fill all air spaces and leave a slight depression in the soil around the plant to direct water to the root area. Alternatively you can pack some of the soil around the plant to make a ring on top of the soil around the plant. This will really help keep water from running off away from the plant and will make better use of rainfalls (especially if your plant is on a slope).
7. Add a Transplant Fertilizer to the water at first watering to promote fast, strong root development. These typically have a higher middle number on them. (You do not need to do this if you chose to use Myke in the earlier step)
8. Do not allow soil to become dry.

Planting Trees

For planting of trees you will refer to the planting of shrubs and hedges section with a few exceptions.

1. Rather than digging the hole deeper and wider than the trees pot it is more ideal to only dig it wider if the existing soil is relatively good. This is because trees have a harder time not tipping over in the wind and if you disturb or put loose soil in the bottom of the hole it will not have a sturdy base to "stand on". This will make it more prone to slowly tipping over or leaning from wind. If you must put fresh soil in the bottom of the hole just make sure to really stomp down on it before putting the tree in to make sure it is a nice solid base. 

2. When digging a hole for a tree you can choose to dig it anywhere from 1.5-3 times wider than the pot it comes in.

3. Try and mix in some of the existing soil when you backfill the hole for your tree. This allows the trees roots to get used to the surrounding soil in its early years and makes it easier for its roots to grow out beyond your initial planting hole in future years. Depending on how rough the existing soil is you can backfill with anywhere from 50% existing soil (if the soil was already great) to 20% (if the soil was very poor).

For Trees In Windy Areas:  Drive in two 6’ 2”x2” stakes on opposite sides of the tree. Tie top and bottom of trunk with plastic tree ties or soft rubber hose with wire, in a figure eight, leaving space for future tree growth. You also want to allow the trunk to move a little bit after the ties are put on as this promotes thickening up of the trunk, and root growth. The stakes should remain for 2-3 years after which they should be ok to remove. 

Tree, Shrub & Hedge Care
Keep soil moist at all times. Add Transplant Fertilizer (high in Phosphorus for fast root growth) to the water for the first 2-3 waterings after planting. (not required for first year if you used Myke) Hedges need an annual pruning, mainly in July or August. Always prune sides with a slight slope from top down, so that the bottom is wider than the tip. This allows sunlight to evenly hit the all parts of the hedge and allows it to better handle snow loads.