Successful installation of your plants can be best attained by following these simple guidelines.

 (Vine planting instructions are located on the Vines page.) 

What time of year should I plant?

    You can plant during any season!   Spring and fall are considered the best.  In spring the ground has ample moisture after most winters for plants to get a good start.  In fall, rains will make any required watering a very short term project.  If irrigation water is handy, then summer is an excellent time to plant as well.  Plants can put on a lot of  growth during summer so don't neglect this important season.  Winter planting can be done if the soil is workable, not overly wet or frozen.

Soil preparation

    Good soil preparation begins by tilling and amending the soil with organic matter.  Now is a good time to add water if your soil is dry.  Also weed control before planting is imperative-especially the perennial weeds like Dandelions.  This will create conditions for maximum plant growth and minimal weeding.    

     Drainage is often over looked until after the fact when poor plant performance occurs.   Water logged soil can produce spindly, off color, and weak plants.  If you site is unusually wet - use plants meant for this type of area or increase the drainage.  This should be done before planting either by raising the soil level up, adding drain tile, or both.  ADS (advanced drainage systems) has a good website if you need information.

    Most plants are a lot like most people - they like conditions that are neither to wet or to dry, nor to hot or to cold.  Obviously there are exceptions, like wetland plants or cactus, but this is a good rule of thumb.  Information can be found on the back of the plant tag, or on this website, with requirements for specific plant requirements.

Mulch

    I cannot say enough good things about using a heavy mulch.   Mulch keeps weed growth to an absolute minimum, holds moisture in place, and adds organic matter.  Nothing is as safe and effective at preventing weed growth.  Mulch helps retain soil moisture saving on you water bill and fostering maximum plant growth at the same time.  Mulch helps you build a healthy soil structure by adding organic matter.  There are a lot of fine mulches out there.  Bark dust is probably the most readily available, though any good, clean, loose mulch will do.  A layer  4" deep will virtually eliminate weeding.  Avoid un-composted mulches, or ones from weed infested areas where it could harbor seeds waiting to sprout.

Post-planting herbicides

    It has been our experience that the use of post planting, pre-emergent herbicides stunts the growth of the very plants you are trying to grow.  For this reason we do not recommend their use on new or established plantings.  To control weeds I cannot stress enough the use of a good mulch, especially at planting time to reduce weeding chores.  Staying ahead of and pulling weeds before they go to seed will save countless hours of time.  Usually once plants have filled in weeding is rarely needed.

Planting between pavers

    When planting between existing pavers, use a garden hose with a spray nozzle to wash the dirt out of the cracks.  You want the finished height of the plant and the pavers to be roughly equal.  Many low spreading ground cover varieties can be cut into slices if needed.

    I have heard that using landscape fabric below the pavers keeps mud and worms (think mole food!) out of the area.  I have never verified this and do not know if it works or not. 

   Watering

    Water in fresh plantings thoroughly to ensure good contact between the surrounding soil and your plants root system.  You can test soil moisture by digging down a little bit and looking.  You want moist soil with some air space.

      It is important to uniformly moisten your soil before planting (i.e. while tilling) to minimize plant stress after planting .  Putting bare roots into hot dry soil will usually burn the root tips and will stunt plant growth (transplant shock).

    "Moderation in all things" including water. At the extreme ends too much or too little can be equally harmful.  Water deeply when watering and allow to dry slightly between waterings to encourage deep rooting.  Water more frequently with new plantings to get them off to a good start and during very dry spells that can occur especially during late summer.