Ask Danny | Ep. 6: How to Plant Shrubs, and Pruning Techniques

On this week’s episode of “Ask Danny,” Sid Sexton is again to inform us easy methods to plant shrubs and provides some recommendation on pruning crape myrtles.

Sid is the founding father of Sexton Garden & Panorama in Daphne, Ala., and is licensed in turf and decoration spraying, panorama design, and setting of panorama crops.

About Sid Sexton

Because the founding father of Sexton Garden & Panorama, Sid is a down-to-earth, trustworthy businessman with a love for garden care, panorama design, and delivering the perfect merchandise to his shoppers.

Beginning at age 16, Sid spent his summers working for a neighborhood panorama firm and the native nation membership and golf course in his hometown of Muskogee, Okla.

After incomes his bachelor’s diploma in enterprise administration with a minor in horticulture, Sid joined the U.S. Coast Guard and was stationed in Hawaii, the place he met his future spouse, Jourdan.

Sid was our visitor for the primary episode of “The Ask Danny Podcast,” and he’s again! Take heed to “Ask Danny Episode 1: Bettering Your Garden’s Well being” to catch up, or learn on for extra details about this second interview with Sid.

Planting Shrubs: Suggestions for Success

What are a number of the steps our listeners ought to take when planting shrubs?   

Sid: Earlier than you plant shrubs, observe these three steps:

1. Have a plan. You want the appropriate kind of plant on your setting in the appropriate location. Take into consideration house, daylight and water, then ask your self these questions: The place will the crops go? Will the realm have an excessive amount of or too little water? Are they the appropriate crops for the appropriate place for the daylight they want? 
2. Lay out the mattress. Use spray paint to stipulate the mattress line, then lease a sod cutter to take away the turf and vegetation. 
3. Add soil: Ensure that to construct the soil up. You need to use prime soil, bagged soil or an natural specialty mix. The principle purpose is so as to add some sort of modification to the prevailing soil so your crops may have the diet they want. 

When digging holes on your crops, go large. The outlet ought to be thrice the width of the container. Giving it that house to develop out is rather more necessary than how deep the opening is. 

Nevertheless, you don’t wish to dig the opening too deep to the place water settles round it. Plant it degree to the bottom or a few half inch above the soil degree. You need water to empty away from the bottom of the plant.

Then add pure mulch, like pine straw, bark and hay. It can create a mat that may stop weeds from rising. Weeds sprout from seeds that may be unfold via the wind. If you happen to create a thick layer of mulch, it is going to stop the seeds from reaching the soil. 

Panorama cloth additionally does this, however personally, I don’t use it due to the local weather I dwell in. It stays sizzling nearly year-round in south Alabama, so panorama cloth tends to entice warmth underground and injury roots. Additionally, it could push water to low areas and result in root rot. 

Mulch additionally insulates the roots, stopping them from getting too cold and warm. And it retains moisture within the soil from evaporating too shortly. As pure mulch breaks down, it provides natural matter to the soil.

Greatest Time to Prune

What are some common tips on pruning? When is the perfect time and are there totally different steps for various crops?

Sid: All crops require some pruning to maintain them in form and promote wholesome progress.

There’s a number of nuance in pruning however a common rule for flowering crops is you wish to prune the plant after it blooms. 

Study which approach to make use of when in our Fundamental Shrub Pruning Methods article.

Pruning Crape Myrtles

Many individuals have robust opinions on trimming and pruning crape myrtles. What’s your opinion?

Sid: A crape myrtle blooms off new progress. So, some individuals hack away on the branches to stimulate this new progress. However this isn’t mandatory — you possibly can nonetheless produce new progress and maintain the form of the plant with selective pruning.

Choose pruning eliminates an unpleasant knuckle from forming and maintains full foliage. Right here’s easy methods to do it. 

First, prune cross branches — branches which might be rubbing collectively and rising throughout from one another. You need the tree to develop up and out, so trim the branches which might be rising towards the center.  

Then, prune damaged branches and any department that’s smaller than your pinky.

Learn our information on How and When to Prune Crape Myrtles for extra particulars.

Sid’s Suggestions

• Ensure you have a plan. If you happen to fail to plan, you propose to fail. 
• If you happen to’re unsure what to do, seek the advice of with a neighborhood professional, like a nursery or panorama architect. 
• Do it in levels so it’s not overwhelming in time and price range. 

Additional Studying