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It is essential to plant your new tree or shrub shallow. Keep the root ball slightly above ground level, and do not cover the top with soil or more than 2″ of mulch. Planting too deep and covering the base will lead to root rot. When backfilling your hole, pull soil around the edges but not over the top of the root ball. Be sure to fertilize in spring the first few years with a slow or timed-release fertilizer, as they need nutrients to thrive. If it is a three-month fertilizer, fertilize for an additional time for the first two years. Liquid fertilizer is designed for flowers, vegetables, or houseplants that are watered more frequently.

Choosing the Right Type of Tree

Proper tree care begins with selecting and planting the right tree in the right place. Ensure your tree will thrive — especially once fully grown — where you want to plant it. Things to consider include:

The tree’s purpose. Are you planting it for aesthetics, privacy, shade/energy reduction, windbreak, or as a street tree? Your end goal will determine the suitability of different trees.

Planting site limitations. What is your hardiness zone? What is the maximum height and spread for a tree in the space? What are the sun exposure and soil conditions? Arbor Day Foundation provides this information for over 200 trees and woody shrubs.

Learn more about planting the Right Tree in the Right Place. You can also find a tree with the Tree Wizard — a free online tool to help you narrow your choices and select the right tree for the right place.

Right Tree, Right Place

Short, flowering trees will stay away from overhead utility lines. Large deciduous trees on the southeast, southwest, and west sides provide cooling shade in the summer and won’t obstruct the warming winter sunlight. An evergreen windbreak to the north can block cold winds in winter.

Selecting a Healthy Tree

Good tree care starts with a healthy tree. Here’s what to look for to ensure your tree can provide a lifetime of benefits.

Container-grown trees: The container should not contain large, circling roots. Pruned roots should be cut cleanly, none wider than a finger.

Soil and roots should be joined tightly.

Additional considerations when purchasing a mature tree include:

  • A robust and well-developed leader (or leaders in a multi-leader tree).
  • Bright, healthy bark.
  • Trunks and limbs are free of insect or mechanical injury.
  • Branches are well-distributed around the trunk, with considerably smaller calipers than the trunk.
  • Ideal spacing between branches, at least 8–12″ for most species.
  • Good trunk taper.
  • Wide-angle crotches for strength.
  • Low branches — they are temporary but help develop taper, promote trunk caliper growth, and prevent sun damage.

Planting a Tree

It is important not to plant your new tree or shrub too deeply. Be sure to keep the root ball slightly above ground level and do not cover the top with soil or mulch. This will lead to root rot. When backfilling your hole, be sure to pull soil around the edges but not over the top of the root ball.

Proper Mulching

Mulch is a newly planted tree’s best friend because it:

  • Insulates the soil, helping to provide a buffer from heat and cold.
  • Retains water to help the roots stay moist.
  • Keeps weeds out to avoid root competition.
  • Prevents soil compaction.
  • Reduces lawn mower damage.

Steps to Adding Mulch Around Your Tree

  1. Remove any grass within a 3-foot area (up to 10 feet for larger tree).
  2. Spread pine needles or pine mulch 2 to 4 inches deep within the circle.
  3. Keep the mulch from touching the trunk of the tree.

Tree Watering

Tree watering is a key part of tree care, but an exact amount is difficult to recommend due to the variety of climates. A few guidelines will help you water your trees properly.

Watering Newly Planted Trees

For new trees, water immediately after planting. Saturate the root ball. A good way to achieve full saturation is to turn the hose on a trickle for several hours.

Watering Trees During First Two Years

During the first couple of growing seasons, your newly planted tree is expending a lot of energy trying to establish its roots in the soil. Especially during the first few summers of your new tree’s life, it will have difficulty dealing with heat and drought. You can make the tree’s life easier by providing water and covering the soil with bark mulch, pine straw, or wood chip mulch. Deep watering can help speed up root establishment. Deep water consists of keeping the soil moist to a depth that includes all the roots.

How Much Water and When

Not enough water harms the tree, but too much water is also bad.

In the spring and summer, we recommend soaking a newly planted tree three times a week for the first three weeks, then twice a week for the next four to six weeks, and then once a week through November. To soak, Water each plant until it runs off. Go back in 5 minutes and water again. If you are watering a row, or more than one, water all first then go back and water all again. Repeat another two times. If you just water once, the water will not penetrate more than 2-3 inches.

In the fall and winter, we recommend soaking a newly planted tree twice a week the first week and once a week for the next 2-4 weeks, depending on how dry the ground is. During the winter, there isn’t much watering required.

What about if we get rain? We recommend keeping a rain gauge to measure rain at your planting. I have seen as much as ½” difference in rainfall over 1000′. If you get ½” or more rain that comes down over 1 hour or more (soaking rain), you can skip watering. 

Pruning

When to Prune

This depends to a large extent on why you prune. Light pruning and the removal of dead wood can be done anytime. Otherwise, below are some guidelines for the different seasons.

Winter Pruning

Pruning during dormancy is the most common practice. It results in a vigorous burst of new growth in the spring and should be used if that is the desired effect. Prune before the sap starts to rise in early spring. For deciduous plants you may prune after they lose their leaves, but before the end of February. For evergreen plants, prune from the last half of February until Mid-March as they are using their leaves for photosynthesis all winter.

Summer Pruning

To direct the growth by slowing the branches you don’t want, or to “dwarf” the development of a tree or branch, pruning should be done soon after seasonal growth. Another reason to prune in the summer is for corrective purposes. Defective limbs are seen more quickly. For spring flowering plants, prune as soon as they finish blooming. For summer flowering plants, prune while they are dormant in the winter.

When not to Prune: Fall

Because decay fungi spread their spores profusely in the fall and wounds seem to heal more slowly on fall cuts, this is an excellent time to leave your pruning tools in storage.

Shrubs are an essential and beautiful part of any landscape. Shrubs are small to medium-sized woody plants. These plants are bigger than a flower but small compared to a tree. Some of the shrubs are evergreen, and some shed leaves during winter. Consider adding some shrubs to your lawn while designing your lawn. They make a great addition and attraction at places like fountains, walkways, and other hardscapes. Shrubs can also be used as a background for the garden beds on your lawn. Include evergreen shrubs around your foundation so it won’t be bare in winter.

Shrubs add beauty, texture, and structure to your lawn. You can choose them based on your interest. In our area, the most popular are hollies, distyliums, hydrangeas, loropetalums, azaleas, and gardenias. 

How to Take Care of Shrubs?

Shrub maintenance involves carefully choosing the desired shrub and caring for it after planting to ensure the best blossoms throughout the year.

  1. Plant the Shrubs at the Right Time: The shrubs selected for planting should withstand the soil and climatic conditions in your area. 
  2. Schedule the Watering Process: Water is essential for the plants or shrubs to thrive. Water newly planted shrubs on the same schedule as we recommend for trees.
  3. Follow Proper Feeding Habits: Newly planted shrubs should not be fed fertilizer after the first of August as they need to go dormant. Feed them well in the spring. If it is a spring-blooming plant, wait until after it blooms. Mulch the soil with compost to enrich it with micronutrients. For established shrubs, timed-release fertilizers can be added according to their needs from spring through July. 
  4. Prune at the Right Times: Pruning is necessary regularly to maintain shrubs’ size and shape. Different tools are used for pruning plants or shrubs. Late winter to spring is the best time to prune your summer flowering shrubs. For spring flowering shrubs, prune after they bloom.
  5. Stake or Tie the Branches: You may need to stake the new plants on the lawn, especially when the trees are bare roots and you have difficulty keeping them straight. Support should be given to the plants until they have developed a strong trunk. The stake used should be about the height of the tree. Using a heavy-wrapped wire, the stake is attached to the tree branches. Ensure the cable is covered with a hose to protect the tree bark from rubbing. You may also need to stake tall trees until the roots are established. Use shorter stakes spaced 1/3 around the tree anchored by a cable to the tree and wrapped with rubber to protect the tree.
  6. Look out for Pests in the Lawn: Pests are a big problem for shrubs. If you find any pests on shrubs or plants, contact the NC Cooperative Extension Service to suggest the right method for removing them from the lawn.
  7. Retain the Moisture by Mulching: Mulching helps retain the moisture and warmth of the soil. In the winter season, mulch helps the shrubs retain water. Organic mulching materials such as pine bark and pine needles can be used for mulching the shrubs.

Conclusion

Implementing proper gardening and shrub maintenance is always the key to keeping the shrubs in your lawn green and healthy. So, pick your favorite shrubs that suit your neighborhood. Make sure that the pruning, watering, fertilization, and other tasks, which are essential for the healthy growth of these special plants, are done properly.