What are the steps in planting a tree or shrub?
●Dig a proper hole
●Fill the hole with water
●Maintain a firm foundation for the plant
●Backfill the hole with a shovel with the original dirt or soil that was excavated
●Clean the area as best as you can
What some important criteria for purchasing the best landscape tree or shrub for your landscape
garden?
Tips when purchasing plants
●Avoid impulsive purchases at plant nurseries
○Some plants on sale may not survive in the desert climate
○Do your homework lol
●Smaller nursery plant sizes are almost always better for your landscape
○Containers are a better choice
○Smaller plants in small containers establish faster in landscapes since the plants
are younger and able to handle the shock of being transplanted
●Avoid purchase of nursery plants that have been growing in a container for too long
○Bump up trees
○Not sold as quickly as planned
○Roots become compacted and are rootbound
○Usually at a discount price
○Always has difficulty growing and dangerous to trees
○Can blow over during the monsoon season
○Make vertical cuts at the bottom and the sides
○Cutting the roots can cause new growth in different directions for the roots
●Only purchase healthy plants
○Do not purchase plants with yellow leaves as it can indicate poor nutrition and
watering habits
○No funny odors
○Look for signs of insects and diseases
○Avoid signs of webbing, chewed leaves, and black spots on the leaves as these
can affect the other plants in the yard
○Avoid the growth of weeds around the container
●Purchase locally grown trees and shrubs
○Consistent climate conditions for the plants
Study Guide 5 - Landscape
Installation
○Hardened off or adapted trees aren’t likely for transplanted trees from other areas
○Garden Centers are usually grown locally and cheaper
○Local retail nurseries can be higher quality, yet more expensive
○Boyce Thompson Arboretum
○Botanical Home Garden
What size and shape should a planting hole be? What is the most common mistake made when
planting woody plants?
Digging the proper planting hole
●Dig only as deep as the vertical dimensions of the container of the plant
●Dig at least 2 or 3 times wider than the container
●Dig the hole that is irregular with rough sides
●Use the soil dug from the planting hole to backfill the hole after placing the plant into the
hole
●Common mistake includes digging a hole too deep and not as wide (not wide enough)
●Shrubs are not perfectly symmetrical
○Face the best side towards the viewscape where people will most likely see
●Place in a firm foundation
●Avoid transplant failure and do not plant too deep
When is it most appropriate to purchase larger or smaller plant sizes?
●Smaller plant sizes are easier to grow and establish as they are younger and capable of
handling shock
●Desert - adapted trees and shrubs grow best without organic amendments added to their
backfill soil at planting
●Can be planted at any time of year, but fall is the BEST time for planting due to the
weather and the plants are not as drastically exposed to the summer heat
What is back filling the soil?
●Filling and surrounding the hole with the soil or dirt that was taken out when digging the
original plant hole and replaced into that area
●Avoid air pockets and air spaces
○Air pockets can cause unwanted settling
○Tap around the dirt/soil with shovel
When should amendments be mixed with soil back fill?
●Avoid unwanted rocks
●Desert - adapted trees and shrubs grow best without organic amendments added to their
backfill soil at planting
●2 inch layer of mulch on top of the soil surrounding the newly planted trees and shrubs
Where should fertilizers be placed with regard to the planting hole?
●Adding fertilizers to the soil of newly planted landscape installations/trees/shrubs to
increase the soil’s fertility are NOT recommended
●Exceptions include newly installed turf grass, fruit trees, citrus, some deciduous shade
trees such as ash, elm, and flowering pear, and most of your temperate zone exotic shrubs
that are not native in Arizona
●Always follow fertilizer instructions on the bag
How should a young transplanted tree be cared for?
Watering practices depend on
●Plant size
●Type of soil
●Time of year the planting was done
●Irrigate more heavily and more frequently for larger trees and shrubs, have a sandy soil in
your landscape, or have planted during the warmer times of year
●Maintain an even moisture around the area for the first several weeks to avoid transplant
shock/failure and encourage root growth
●Increase landscape water conservation by 90% if you add a 2 - inch layer of mulch on the
top of the soil
What signs should you look for when buying a woody plant grown is a container?
●Only purchase healthy plants
○Do not purchase plants with yellow leaves as it can indicate poor nutrition and
watering habits
○No funny odors
○Look for signs of insects and diseases
○Avoid signs of webbing, chewed leaves, and black spots on the leaves as these
can affect the other plants in the yard
○Avoid the growth of weeds around the container
○Rootbound plants
How should a woody plant be removed from a container?
●Protect the plant and the root system throughout the planting exercise
○Place hand on top of the surface and pull the container off as the plant is upside
down
What should you do if a plant is root-bound in it container prior to planting?
●Look at how long the plant has been in the container
●Examine the soil and container
How long does is normally takes for landscape trees or shrubs to become established in a
landscape?
●The time typically depends
●Shrubs usually take 12 to 24 months to become fully established
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●Trees usually take about 3 to 4 years (longer than shrubs)
