Start out on the right root Simple steps can start trees, shrubs off right By Jordan Gerard
jordan.gerard@austindailyherald.com
Spring is a good time to get roots in the ground for all types of plants, especially for trees and shrubs. Though many people like to grab a shovel and get a plant in the ground right away, several easy steps can help ensure these trees and shrubs bring a variety of color to a yard for many years to come. Dolan’s Landscape Center owner Brian Dolan and his staff offered several tips for successful plantings:
How to save a tree or shrub
If it seems like you have taken care of the plant according to the above instructions and it’s still not doing well, it could be an insect, disease or site problem. And if that’s the case, it’s best to photograph the plant and take it into a garden center to see what can be done. Newer plants can be moved around because their root system isn’t fully established into the ground yet.
Emerald Ash Borer, a threat to Mower County?
Emerald ash borer is a nonnative invasive species that is dangerous to ash trees. It’s commonly identified by heavy woodpecker A variety of color activity, dead branches at The onset of emerald ash the top, sprouts around borer across Minnesota has Brian Dolan, owner of Dolan’s Landscape Center shows off products people can use to protect their trees after planting. Eric Johnson/Austin Living the base of the tree, led many planting experts vertical cracks in the to promote the benefits of bark, S-shaped tunnels root ball a little bit. plants to start regulating growing time, according to diverse tree plantings — under the bark and 1/8 Place the tree in the themselves. Josh Kern, a designer and too many of the same tree inch D-shaped exit holes hole, making sure the tree estimator. Plants can also be can lead to problems. But in the bark, according is straight. Fill in the hole fertilized through spring This story appeared in diversity can also bring Do’s and Don’ts to the Minnesota halfway up the root ball and summer up until the the March-April edition a full slate of colors to a Watering your plants is Department of Natural middle of August, Mudra of Austin Living. Pick up and cut and remove the home and yard. key , said Jennifer Mudra, Resources website. visible portions of the added. a copy at The Herald, Maples seem to be the who works in the garden Gary Johnson from the burlap carefully, without “You don’t want to 310 Second St. NE. most popular to plant center. University of Minnesota disturbing the root ball. fertilize it after about the in springtime because The amount of water Extension office said Finish filling the hole to middle of August because of their autumn colors, your tree or shrub will bare root season, then you the disease is not yet in the top of the first woody you want the plant to go according to Dolan. need varies based on the couldn’t do anything until Mower County, but it’s root. Water the entire into dormant state so it Maples come in many type. Some plants enjoy a fall or next spring,” Dolan closing in on many nearby area and layer about two will survive the winter,” varieties that will have wet soil, while others like counties. Southeastern to four inches of mulch Mudra said. different colored leaves. For said. it more dry . In this case, it’s However, in today’s Minnesota counties, the over the area, but don’t Another important instance, an emerald queen important to keep an eye garden world, many Twin Cities and Duluth push the mulch right up factor for successfully Norway maple will emerge on the temperature. If it’s a trees and shrubs start in have confirmed the borer’s to the trunk’s root flare, growing a healthy tree is green and turn to yellow 90-degree day , the soil will a field or containers, so is presence and are under the area at the base of the sunlight. A plant that needs versus a fall fiesta sugar quarantine, meaning tree where the roots enter dry up much faster than a a lot of sunlight won’t do maple that will have golden they’re available all the 70-degree day . year and there’s no real firewood should not be the soil, or else you will well on the north side of a to red-orange leaves. Trees and shrubs usually time restriction. Still, the transported and you smother the tree’s airway . building, Mudra said. “We try to push more establish themselves sooner you get it done, the should burn it where you Shrubs are planted If you’re not sure where variety than just the two to three weeks after longer the growing season buy it. It’s also present relatively the same way , to plant a particular shrub maples, so it’s not a planting, but some might you’re going to get, Dolan just over the border in though you have to be or tree, your local garden monoculture across the take a whole month for the added. Iowa. mindful of different plants, center can help. city, across the area or in because each plant wants your yard,” Dolan said. How to plant or needs different soils, “It’s very important that Planting involves a bit amount of sunlight and you get a variety.” more than just digging a water, added Eric Farrand, Shrubs are popular for hole in the ground. who works in the tree their bloom color rather Make sure you don’t dig orchard and garden center than the actual foliage into underground cables. at the nursery. color. They come in a range The size of the hole also “There’s different things of colors from red to yellow needs to be one and a half they want, different soil to purple and everything types too, depending on in between. Hydrangea and times as wide and deep as what you’re planning,” spirea are popular for their the plant that’s in the pot or the root ball, even if you Farrand said. “Something low maintenance, which is have to fill the hole back that likes it dry, you don’t another key characteristic in. Don’t make the hole a want to put it in a wet area people look for when perfect circle, make the of your yard.” planning their yard for full edges irregular so when It’s also important to bloom. new roots come out, they make sure the soil is good “Everybody wants color will spread out more and for growing. Potting soil and low maintenance,” won’t get tangled in a root can be mixed into the Dolan said. bound pattern. It’s also existing native soil just to important to loosen the give it a little boost come When to plant Once spring officially arrives, it’s important to make sure the frost is gone and the ground is warming up before you plant. One of the best possible times to put trees and shrubs in the ground is bare root season. That’s considered the time after the ground is unfrozen and before other plants start to bud out. “It used to be if you didn’t get your trees and shrubs planted during