Watering

Trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, sodded lawns

TREES, SHRUBS, PERENNIALS, GROUNDCOVERS

All your new plantings will need an abundance of water throughout the first growing season. Please make sure to care for all plants once they arrive on site. 

• Supply enough water to soak the soil around the entire root system at each watering.   

• Allow the soil to dry slightly between watering so that oxygen can reach the roots. 

• It is best to place the hose at the base of each plant to direct the water, minimize waste and to prevent foliar diseases.

• If watering with sprinklers, we recommend watering in the early morning. This allows time for the leaves to dry before the sun is high.

• Monitor for signs of stress.  Drooping leaves can be a sign of over watering as well as under watering, so check the soil moisture. The easiest way to check soil moisture is to insert your hand into the soil near the base of the plant. Once your hand is inserted to your thumb, feel if your fingertips are wet or dry. If wet, no watering is necessary, if dry, you need to water. 

As plants mature, deeper and less frequent watering will promote a deep healthy root system.  Most trees and shrubs require little additional irrigation once established with average rainfall.  Also, keep in mind that site conditions such as sun and wind exposure and soil type will affect the water needs of the plants.

spade trees

While we do not warranty spade trees, below are the recommended watering practices. For the first few years after a tree is spaded average rainfall is not enough water for your tree. The below watering recommendations are in addition to average rainfall. This may need to be adjusted based off the weather and rainfall year to year. Watering should begin at the base of the tree and each week should be moved further away from the tree to encourage outward root growth. Sprinklers are not a recommended way of watering your spade tree(s), as the water will not saturate deep enough to reach the roots.

• Day 1: Water at the base of the tree as soon as the tree is planted until full

• Day 2, 7, 14 and 21: Same as day 1

• After that — every 15 days until the ground freezes: Same as day 1

• Year 1 and 2: When the ground thaws, water your tree as you did on day 1 and every 30 days all summer

• Year 3: Extra watering only needed in extreme hot and dry conditions

SODDED LAWNS 

NEWLY LAID SOD SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO DRY OUT.  It is advisable to water twice daily, to keep the soil saturated, almost squishy wet for the first seven to ten days.  Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to water.  Then reduce watering to once daily (early morning) to keep sod evenly moist, through the third week and then begin tapering frequency to once every other day.  Turf will also develop a deeper root system, if irrigated less frequently. Again, heat and dry conditions are a factor.  Signs of dehydration are limp areas and a blue-gray tint.  

DO NOT WALK ON GRASS OR MOW FOR THE FIRST THREE WEEKS.  Mow grass no lower than 3 inches.  Your lawn will be fully established in 6 to 8 weeks.  A rule of thumb for irrigation is 1-1 1/2” weekly (including natural rain falls and supplemental watering).  30 minutes per area is usually adequate.  

FERTILIZING 

Trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, annuals, & lawns

TREES & SHRUBS 

To avoid potential nutrient deficiencies, you can establish a fertilization schedule for young and newly transplanted trees and shrubs. Fertilize annually for two years with slow-release fertilizer to promote their establishment in the landscape. Fertilize every two years until the plant matures if it is not in already fertilized turf.   Symptoms of nutrient deficiency include but are not limited to: pale green or yellow leaves, reduced leaf size, premature fall coloration and leaf drop, reduced twig and branch elongation, yellowing along the leaf veins, and overall reduced plant growth and vigor. 

• Early spring applications are most beneficial (since this is the time plants have their greatest flush of growth and therefore, their greatest need for nutrients).  Do not fertilize late in the summer.  This will promote new growth (which will be particularly susceptible to winter damage) and prevent the plant from hardening off for winter. 

• Fertilizer can be applied through surface applications.  Specialists recommend applying fertilizer over the entire root zone of a plant.  This can be roughly determined by observing the “drip line” or the perimeter of the canopy of the tree or shrub. 

• Often trees and shrubs get what they need from fertile garden soil, without additional fertilization.  It is usually futile to attempt to fertilize a large, mature tree.  

PERENNIALS, GROUNDCOVERS, ANNUALS

Flowering plants need more nourishment to produce blooms, but not all flowering plants need fertilization to be healthy.

• Scotts “Osmocote” is a fertilizer that is a compound of nutrients which are time released into your soil. This gives up to four months of even fertilization which would keep you from over fertilizing.  

• Soluble fertilizers, such as “Miracle Gro” will give more “instant” results but need to be repeated more frequently (every 2 weeks) 

• Do not fertilize after August.  Let the plants naturally go dormant. 

LAWNS

For lawns, fall fertilization is recommended, as this helps the turf become thick and healthy prior to dormancy (to crowd out weeds when spring arrives). 

• Grass needs fertilizer high in nitrogen. 

• If applying Fertilizer plus pre-emergent weed (crabgrass) preventer, do so at the end of April when soil temperatures reach 50 degrees. 

• Spring is good time to apply “turf builder” type fertilizers (that are high in nitrogen), but wait until after Memorial Day to apply. 

• “Weed-N-Feed” (for controlling broadleaf weeds) is most effective when applied August 15- September 15. 

• “Winterizers” should be applied in mid-October. 

WINTERIZING 

Deciduous trees and shrubs, evergreen trees and shrubs, perennials, lawns

A general guideline for all your plants, as they head into winter, is to discontinue fertilizing and decrease watering in early fall to help signal plants to begin their winter acclimation.  In late fall, increase watering again to fortify the plants’ moisture reserves.   Make sure you water thoroughly just prior to the soil freezing. 

DECIDUOUS TREES & SHRUBS

• Young trees (especially thin-barked species like maple and apple) are susceptible to sun scald and frost cracks during the winter months.  To protect their trunks, wrap with a commercial tree wrap (preferably white) from the base to the lowest limbs.  Remove the wrap in the spring. You may want to wrap your young trees for the first several years. 

• The main problem shrubs may encounter is animal damage.  Methods of deterring hungry rabbits, mice and deer from nibbling bark and tender shoots include repellant sprays (which need to be reapplied often) and providing an alternate food source.   

EVERGREEN TREES & SHRUBS

• Evergreens are also commonly afflicted with winter burn (or browning).   Anti-desiccant sprays (such as “Wiltproof”) help to prevent water loss, but even more effective is to physically screen out the wind and sun.  Burlap can be used or a snow barrier can be built up for shorter plants.  Some species are less susceptible than others and a protected location may make further procedures unnecessary. 

PERENNIALS

• Snow is the best insulation for perennials (once mature, MN hardy perennials require no additional protection with sufficient snow cover).  You may want to provide several inches of mulch for “marginally hardy” varieties and first year transplants (to prevent damage from freeze/thaw heaving).  Straw, marsh hay, whole leaves, and pine needles are all effective.  You should wait until the ground freezes, but get it mulched before too much snow cover has accumulated. 

• As far as pruning, we recommend checking for your specific plant when the best time to prune is — some perennials and shrubs can only be pruned in the fall or spring, otherwise flowering and growth ability may be impacted. If you have encountered any disease or insect problems, over the course of the growing season, remove the old growth and as much of the leaf litter, etc. from your perennial beds.  This will minimize the chances of overwintering the pests. 

LAWNS

• Continue to mow turf until ground freezes (you will notice that its rate of growth will slow down).  Don’t let your grass go into winter too long.  This will invite snow mold and other fungal problems under the snow cover. 

• Do not apply high nitrogen (“turf builder”) fertilizer, as this will lead to a late season flush of growth. 

• “Winterizing” fertilizers are high in phosphorous and potassium, which will help grass strengthen its root system and acclimate for dormancy. 

If you have anymore questions regarding your new space, please feel free to reach out!