Home Topics ...Gardening TipsHandling The Plants

Handling Plants in Your Garden

Handling of the plants forms another step in the successful implementation of garden design. Growing plants requires careful attention. You need to observe a plant's natural habits and learn how they grow best.However, several tips can help you develop this almost intuitive knowledge.

First, use this checklist for what to observe about each plant:when the plant matures in each year of its growth (This will differ for new plants and those in their second, third and subsequent years.)
the time of year it typically grows or blooms
the type of weather conditions it prefers: dry or wet, warm or cold, sunny or shady
the kind of soil it prefers
how hardy it is
whether it transplants well

Sowing Seeds

Once you understand what you need to know about your plants and the soil has been thoroughly prepared, you can sow seeds when the ground is moist (preferably prior to a rain).

The depth that seeds should be planted varies. Hardy seeds such as peas and fruit tree seeds can be planted three to six inches deep. Small seeds that are slow to germinate, such as celery, carrot and onions, require shallow planting. After sowing, these seeds should have the earth above them patted down with a hoe.

Cuttings

Different types of cuttings require different care. Dormant-wood cuttings such as grapes, gooseberries and other soft-wooded trees are taken in the fall and winter and buried in sand or moss to prevent freezing. In the spring, they are set in a sandy, well-drained location. Hardwood cuttings should not be less than six inches long (preferably eight to 12 inches). Lower buds should be removed.

Root cuttings used for raspberries, blackberries and the like are planted in the spring in a horizontal position in moist, sandy soil to a depth of one or two inches. Green or softwood cuttings should be planted in sand or washed gravel almost up to the leaves. The soil should be moist throughout but not so we that it becomes muddy. These cuttings should also be kept in shade.

Transplanting Seedlings

All plants started from seeds should be planted in soil that is fine and thoroughly compacted. Transplanting in cloudy or rainy weather is best for the plants. You should use a dibber to make holes. After the plant is set in the hole, the soil should be firmed snugly around the roots in order to bring up moisture. The surface should be raked to reestablish any mulch.

You should almost always remove some of the foliage, especially if the plant was not first grown in a pot or if the weather is warm. This will prevent wilting. The transplants should not need water. If watering is necessary, do it at night.

Transplanting Established Plants

Generally, hardy plants should be set in the fall. This includes most fruit and ornamental trees and hardy herbs. They should be planted as soon as they mature. Leaves should being to fall naturally. Unless the plant is an evergreen, any leaves remaining on the plant at planting time should be removed. Smaller, less hardy plants should be set in the spring as early as possible.

If the soil is well-compacted, trees and shrubs can be planted to the same depth as they enjoyed in the nursery. Looser, less compact soil requires plants to be set deeper. For trees and bushes, roots should be cut back beyond any bruises or breaks. Fine soil should fill in around the roots and be firmed by hand. Trees with many roots should be worked up and down a few times while the hole is filled to allow the earth to settle. Otherwise, roots will get jammed together and empty pockets will occur, causing roots to dry out.

Potted plants should be "plunged" or set in the earth (unless the ground is extremely wet). They demand little care. If they are to return to the house in the fall, they should be turned every few days to prevent to plant from rooting through the pot.

Protecting Garden Plants in Winter

Trees planted in the fall should have soil mounded up around their bases. This holds the tree in place, drains off water and prevents freezing. In the spring, the mound can be taken away.

Barren garden ground should be covered in up to six inches of mulch in the fall. Plants should receive a fair distribution of mulch, as well. This protects plants from cold and provides some fertilization of your garden in advance of spring. Mulch also prevents the ground of growing too compact from snow and rain.

Pruning Garden Plants

Pruning is a necessary step in garden design. This exercise keeps plants in shape and allows them to be more fruitful and vibrant. Even annual plants such as tomatoes can benefit from pruning. Superfluous or crowding shoots can be removed. Weak or sprawling shoots from plants such as marigolds can also be pruned to promote better growth.

Before pruning, gardeners should be aware of how plants bloom. The difference is mainly in whether the flower blooms from last season's shoots or from new wood of the current season.

Spring-blooming woody plants such as fruit trees, lilac and forsythia produce flowers from buds that were dormant over the winter. If these shoots are cut, there will be no flowers come spring. On the other hand, summer-blooming plants such as grapes, some roses and shrubby hibiscus produce blooms from shoots that grow in the same season. These should be pruned in winter or early spring to produce strong, new shoots.

Fruit trees should be pruned so that the tops remain open to sun and for picking. Fruit and shade trees are generally pruned in the winter. In trees such as cherry, peach and apple, take note of the difference between fruit buds and leaf buds. Usually fruit buds are on short branches or spurs and are thicker and fatter than leaf buds.

Resources

Bailey, L.H. (2005). Project Gutenberg eBook of Manual of Gardening (Second Edition). Retrieved March 6, 2008, from the Project Gutenberg Web Site: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/8mgrd10h.htm.

Other Topics in this Section

Add a Comment

Print this Article

Email to a Friend