Fall is perhaps the best time of the year for putting in a new
landscape or just adding a few
plants to your flower bed. The cooler weather allows plants to
establish themselves with much
less stress than when planting in the hot summer.
Planting in the fall will also enable the plants to develop
strong root systems in preparation for
the long, hot, dry season next year.
To make your landscape planting more successful, first avoid
some common mistakes.
Begin by selecting the correct plants. I can’t say how many
times I have driven through
neighborhoods and have seen plants I know will grow to 30 feet
planted right under a window
or overhang.
Make sure you know the ultimate mature height of your plant
before you buy it. Select plants
that will fit the site and not outgrow it.
Don’t buy exotic plants from mail-order houses, either. Many of
these plants that look great in
the catalog either won’t survive the Georgia winter or are more
suited to a dry climate out
West.
Pay attention to the hardiness zones of the plants you choose.
Georgia ranges from climatic
zones 6b through 8a, which means some plants will grow only in
certain areas of the state.
Learn which zone you live in and select only plants for your
area.
Be sure to follow proper planting procedures. Perhaps the
largest percentage of plant problems
that county agents diagnose are related to improper planting.
A great plant won’t survive in a poor hole. In other words, take
the time to properly prepare
the area before planting. This includes tilling or spading the
entire bed and adding organic
material to the whole area.
Don’t make the mistake of just digging a hole the size of the
container and adding some
compost to the hole. This will result in problems.
Dig your plant holes at least two times larger than the root
ball — bigger is better — and don’t
add pure organic matter to the hole. Instead, backfill the hole
with the same mixture you
prepared in tilling the bed.
Be sure to plant the shrub level with the ground and the top of
the root ball.
Another problem is poor drainage. Most plants simply cannot
survive with continuously wet
roots. Tilling or spading the area may not be enough to improve
the drainage to acceptable
standards.
Begin correcting poor drainage by studying the flow of water
runoff during a good rainstorm.
You can learn a lot about the drainage then. Adding a gutter or
moving a downspout may be
all you need to do to correct the problem. Use drain tile pipe
to divert water away from plants.
Raising the bed by incorporating organic matter or topsoil is
another way to deal with poorly
drained sites. Raise the level at least 8 to 12 inches to
insure
proper drainage.
Don’t overmulch plants in areas that tend to stay wet. In this
case, you don’t want to conserve
moisture but hasten its escape.
Don’t select plants that are sensitive to problem wet areas,
either. I would never plant an
azalea or rose bush in an area prone to staying wet. Look for
plant choices more tolerant of
such extremes, such as dwarf yaupon, wax myrtle or crepe
myrtle.
By following a few basic guidelines you can prevent a lot of
landscape headaches later. Take
advantage of the great fall weather and revitalize your
landscape today.
