You are hereshrubs
shrubs
A Better Way To Plant Shrubs and Trees
For starters, dig a shallow hole and avoid soil amendments.
How you plant a shrub or tree determines whether the plant struggles to grow, dies outright, or takes off and thrives. I know this firsthand. For 20 years I conducted research with a wide variety of ornamental shrubs and trees, planting them in different ways and observing the results. I learned, often to my surprise, that many common recommendations about planting are wrong or useless. You may think that the traditional approach to transplanting-digging a deep planting hole, amending the soil with organic matter, pruning branches to compensate for lost roots, and not fertilizing at planting time produces good results, but my research shows that a different approach works better.
Insect Management Calendar for April
The following are insect pests that you might expect to see during April in Georgia. Become familiar with them so you will be able to recognize them in landscapes you visit.
We have included links to more information for many of these insect pests. Click on the insect names to find online resources that can help you to identify and manage these pests.
For pesticide recommendations, see the Pest Control Handbook.
Leaf Spots
Leaf spot is a common descriptive term applied to a number of diseases affecting the foliage of ornamentals and shade trees. The majority of the leaf spots are caused by a variety of fungal pathogens, but some are caused by bacteria.
Winter Flowers Brighten Landscapes
Winter is a strange time to think of flowers in the landscape. Yet it can be a surprising awakening of the garden. Several types of trees, shrubs, vines, annuals and perennials bloom between fall and spring.
Winter Jasmine
Here are some favorite winter bloomers.
Winter jasmine is an evergreen, arching shrub reaching 3 to 4 feet high and 4 to 6 feet wide.
Summer Blooming Shrubs
The spring landscape is saturated with flowering shrubs. But spring passes and suddenly it’s summer. All that color doesn’t have to disappear, though. Many plants tolerate Georgia’s heat and humidity while providing lots of summer color.
Numerous shrubs are available to Georgia homeowners for providing summer interest in the landscape.
Proper Planting Tips
Improper planting is a common problem with many woody and herbaceous ornamentals. Results of improper planting are commonly seen on azaleas, boxwoods, hollies and junipers, but problems can occur with any plant. Symptoms usually include poor growth, and affected plants are often seen as "off-color" and unhealthy-looking with low vigor. Plants may develop branch dieback and eventually die due to environmental stresses resulting from poor planting.
Forcing Branches to Bloom Inside
It will still be awhile before many of our spring-blooming shrubs and trees begin to flower. But you can enjoy these flowers weeks earlier by cutting branches and forcing them to bloom inside.
Fertilizing Shrubs
Most established ornamental plants in the landscape require care to stay healthy and attractive. Proper fertilization is part of a good landscape management program.
Fertilization is an important part of landscape maintenance, particularly in urban areas where much of the native topsoil is removed during development and subsoil deficient in essential nutrients becomes the new topsoil.
Fall Berry Color
The bright leaves of fall too soon discolor and drop, leaving bare stems. But then we discover the clusters of jewels still hidden among the plants. The ornamental fruit and berry season is upon us.
Using Wood Chips
Powerful tornadoes and thunderstorms often rake across Georgia in the spring. Trees fall, limbs are snapped and landscapes are devastated. After a storm, homeowners, landscapers and tree companies are faced with mounds of wood chips that must be used on site or taken to a local composting facility.
Homeowners may have questions about using chips in their landscape. Here is a collection of pointers from Dr. Kim Coder, Extension Forest Resources Specialist: