Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Semi-Evergreen Shrub Of The Day

Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'
Wintercreeper, Wintercreeper Euonymus

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 5A to 8B

Height 4' to 5' / 1.20m to 1.60m

Spread 24" to 36" / 60cm to 90cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Upright or erect and variable spread

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Semi-evergreen

Bloom Color Green and white

Bloom Time Summer

Environment

This plant tolerates drought.

This plant will grow in very dry soil.

Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.

The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green, silvery and variegated

Fall Color Red

This plant has attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes

Wintercreeper can be a trailing, vine like plant or an upright shrub, depending on the cultivar. This cultivar forms a compact shrub but will climb up a nearby shrub or wall. This cultivar can be trained into an espalier. Transplanting is no problem, but the growth rate is slow. A north or west exposure is best--during the winter, shade will keep the foliage from burning. If used as a ground cover, it can be sheared to keep it neat.

This member of the genus is the most susceptible to Euonymus scale so should not be selected for low-maintenance landscapes. Large plants become heavily infested before the insect is noticed. A good ground cover for slopes. Many plants give good purple fall color.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Deciduous Shrub Of The Day

Euonymus alatus 'Select (Fire Ball™)'
Winged Euonymus


Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 5A to 8B

Height 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m

Spread 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m

Growth rate Average

Form Rounded

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Green and yellow

Bloom Time Spring

Environment

This plant tolerates drought. This plant will grow in very dry soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay. The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green

Fall Color Red

This plant has attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes

A plant with spectacular fall color that stays much smaller than the species. It is well suited for residential and commercial landscapes. It is likely to become popular due to the tight meatball shape that develops without pruning. We are still addicted to and apparently enjoy the meatball look in the US. Place in full sun for best development. Pollen causes mild allergies.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Perennial Of The Day




Dendranthema x grandiflorum
syn. Chrysanthemum hortorum; Chrysanthemum x morifolium; Dendranthema x koreanu
Florist's Chrysanthemum, Garden Mum
Type Perennial
Hardy range 5A to 10A
Height 12" to 4' / 30cm to 1.20m
Spread 24" to 36" / 60cm to 90cm
Growth rate Average
Form Rounded
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Deciduous
Bloom Color Orange, pink, purple, red, white and yellow
Bloom Time Summer and Fall

The flowers are fragrant, showy, suitable for cut flowers and suitable for dried flowers.

Environment This plant tolerates some salt. This plant will grow in moist soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy. The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green

This plant has attractive foliage and fragrant foliage.

Culture Notes Some cultivars need pinching to produce nice blooms or staking to maintain form, so check with your local nursery for the specific care of your plant. These plants are tolerant of heat and humidity. Leaving the foliage on the plant helps the plant to winter over. Division can be made in early spring. Cuttings can be taken early to mid summer.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Deciduous Tree Of The Day




Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis'
Higan Cherry, Rosebud Cherry
Type Tree, woody plant
Hardy range 5A to 8A
Height 25' to 40' / 7.60m to 12.20m
Spread 15' to 30' / 4.60m to 9.20m
Growth rate Fast
Form Vase shaped
Exposure Full sun
Persistence Deciduous
Bloom Color Pink
Bloom Time Spring and Fall
The flowers are very showy.

Environment This plant tolerates some drought. This plant will grow in dry soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay. The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color Green

Fall Color Yellow

This plant has attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes Higan cherry has a fairly rapid growth rate and prefers an open, sunny location sheltered from wind. The tree grows in any garden soil and transplants easily when young. Provide plenty of open soil space for growing this tree. Trees can develop poorly in restricted soil areas. The pink flowers appear in the spring before the leaves.

A regular fertilization program with slow release nitrogen is recommended to keep plants vigorous. Too much nitrogen in the soluble form could stimulate sprouting. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people. Foliage from most members of this genus is considered poisonous when ingested. Cherries compartmentalize decay poorly meaning that decay can spread rapidly inside the tree following mechanical injury to the trunk or removing large branches.

Provide good drainage in an acidic soil for best growth. Crowns become one-sided unless they receive light from all around the plant, so locate in full sun. Select a different plant if soil is poorly drained, but otherwise cherry adapts to clay or loam. Roots should be kept moist and should not be subjected to prolonged drought. Trees live longer than many other cherries.

Double-flowered Higan Cherry is a nice plant for small landscapes. It should be grown in full sun or partial shade on well-drained, acid soil. Provide moisture on a regular basis in dry weather. It grows well in clay soil as long as it drains well. Trees grow quickly when young but slow down with age. It could be planted along a residential street where there is plenty of soil for root expansion. Plants perform best on north facing slopes in the Rocky Mountain region.

This plant is moderately damaged by Japanese beetles.

Maintain adequate mulch area

Clear all turf away from beneath the branches and mulch to the drip line to reduce competition with turf and weeds. This will allow roots to become established quickly and keep plants healthier. Train and prune the trunks and branches so they will not touch each other. Remove some secondary branches on main branches with included bark, or those that are likely to develop it, as soon as possible. This reduces the likelihood of splitting from the tree later, when the tree has grown to become an important part of the landscape. Locate the tree properly, taking into account the ultimate size, since the tree looks best if it is not pruned to control size. The tree can enhance any landscape with its delightful spring flush of flowers. It can be the centerpiece of your landscape if properly located. Flowers develop from buds formed the previous year.

Tree establishment specifications

Choose good quality trees for planting. The most common cause of young tree failure is planting too deep. In most instances, the point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk (referred to as the root flare zone or root collar) should be located just above the soil surface. You may have to dig into the root ball to find the root flare. If there is nursery soil over this area, scrape it off. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider because roots grow best in loose soil. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, extensive research clearly shows that there is no need to incorporate any amendments into the backfill soil. Simply use the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Simply planting with the topmost portion of the root ball slightly higher than the surrounding soil might still install the tree too deep - be sure to locate the root flare.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch to at least a six-foot diameter circle around the tree. This area should be at least two feet in diameter for each inch of tree trunk diameter and maintained during the establishment period. Apply a thinner layer of mulch directly over the root ball but keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. This allows rainwater, irrigation and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk and applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.

Regular irrigation after planting encourages rapid root growth that is essential for tree establishment. Trees provided with regular irrigation through the first growing season after transplanting require about 3 months (hardiness zones 9-11), 6 months (hardiness zones 7-8), or one year or more (hardiness zones 2-6) per inch of trunk diameter to fully establish roots in the landscape soil. Trees in desert climates may take longer to establish. Trees that are under-irrigated during this establishment period (and most trees are) often require additional time to establish because roots grow more slowly. Be prepared to irrigate through the entire establishment period, especially during periods of drought.

Irrigation also helps maintain and encourage the desirable dominant leader in the tree canopy on large-maturing trees. Instead of a dominant leader, trees that are under-irrigated during the establishment period often develop undesirable, low, co-dominant stems and double leaders that can split from the tree later.

Unlike established plants, which do best with deep, infrequent irrigation, research clearly shows that recently transplanted trees and shrubs establish quickest with light, frequent irrigation. For trees planted in spring or summer, provide one (cooler hardiness zones) to three irrigations (warmer hardiness zones) each week during the first few months after planting. Daily irrigation in the warmest hardiness zones provides the quickest establishment. Following the initial few months of frequent irrigation, provide weekly irrigation until plants are fully established. With every irrigation, apply one (cool climates) to two (warm climates) gallons of water per inch trunk diameter (e.g. 2 to 4 gallons for a 2-inch tree) over the root ball only. In most landscapes that receive more than 30 inches of rain or irrigation annually, if the mulch area is maintained weed-free, irrigation does not need to be applied outside of the root ball. Never add water if the root ball is saturated.

In cooler hardiness zones, in all but the driest years, irrigation of spring- and summer-planted trees usually can be discontinued once fall color has begun. Irrigation of fall planted trees, however, should be continued until foliage has dropped from the deciduous trees in the region. In warmer climates, irrigate fall-and winter-planted trees as described for the spring- and summer-planted trees.

In drier, desert climates there is benefit to be gained from applying additional irrigation outside of the root ball area. This is best done by making a large diameter berm four to six inches high, then filling it with water so it percolates into the soil. For the first two years, irrigate twice each week through the spring, once per week in summer provided monsoons arrive, and twice each week again in fall if it remains warm. Taper off watering to once or twice each month in winter and resume twice weekly next spring. For years three to five, water twice per month in spring, summer, and fall and once or twice per month in winter. During years five through seven, water once every three weeks in warm weather and once every six weeks in winter. After this, the drought-tolerant desert trees should be able to survive on natural rainfall.

Trees with good, strong structure need no pruning at planting, except to remove broken twigs. Do not remove branches to compensate for root loss - research has shown that this can be detrimental to establishment.

Spring transplanting best

Balled-and-burlapped and bare root trees recover best when transplanted in late winter or early spring in the cooler portions of North America. This usually corresponds to the initiation of root growth.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Perennial Of The Day

Erigeron x 'Prosperity'
Fleabane
Asteraceae (Aster)

Type Perennial

Hardy range 5A to 10A

Height 12" to 18" / 30cm to 45cm

Spread 12" to 18" / 30cm to 45cm

Growth rate Average

Exposure Full sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Blue

Bloom Time Spring through Fall

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers.

Environment This plant tolerates some salt. This plant will grow in moist soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy. The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green

Culture Notes This plant is long-lived and easy to grow when placed in the sun and surrounded by well-drained soil. It blooms sporadically throughout its bloom time. Remove spent flowers to encourage a second blooming. This is a clump forming perennial with usually evergreen foliage. Division can be done in the spring. Stem cuttings can be done early summer. Seed can be sown in the fall.