The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1989 Page: 9 of 10
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RiO GRANDE HERALD • Ttwnday. January 12,19S9 • Page 9
A Basic
Guide for Planting
Shrubs- Trees-Flowers-Sod
SHRUBS
Natural and Formal Hedges
1 To screen an area well, plant
shrubs in two staggered rows for a
btaqger
fuller effect
Formal
Use
Garden Hose
For A
Natural
Look
Use as Guide
For Straight Line
2 Use a taut string as a guideline
for planting even rows If you want a
more natural looking hedge, drape a
garden hose in curved lines and follow
this pattern in planting the background
v
Allow Room For Growth
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Rootball
even with
surface of soil
Crown
Dig the hole big enough Using the shovel as a depth
and width guide, dig at least as deep as thecontamer
and half the depth more to loosen the soil, removing
rocks, compacted soil, and other impediments to
good root growth Place trash and unwanted soil on a
plastic sheet or other cover nearby to reduce cleanup
time after planting
When digging, place the top soil in one place and
lower soils in another Use the richer top soil to fill in
around the plant
Once the hole is dug. fill about halfway with water
and check to see if the drainage is good If the soil
does not absorb the water fairly quickly, loosen the
soil more If you have hit a rock layer or heavy clay
base it may be best to choose another site
Plastic Sheet
ower Soil
Top Soi
r;
m-yf
f ill halfway Jzp
with water
and any accompanying annuals or
contrasting shrubs
3. Mark all planting holes,
remembering that the plants will spread
out If you buy small container plants,
they may look a little sparse the first
year or so. but with the right care, they
will spread Leave room to get to the
plants for maintenance
For a formal hedge space shrubs
fhree fourths
TREES
If the tree is to be planted in a grassy
area dig the grass out in a diameter at
least one loot wider than the hole tor
the tree
The bottom of the hole should be
fairly firm to give the tree a good footing
The center should be slightly higher to
encourage the roots to spread Facing
the side of the tree with the fewest
branches toward the sun will stimulate
growth to balance the shape
Bare Root Planting
1 Cut off any broken or dead roots
2 Prepare the hole as suggested in
the Basic Directions Bring fill soil level
within twt to three inches of the top
Press down each layer as you fill
3 Set the tree in the hole so that the
original soil line (usually visible on the
trunk) is even with the natural level of
the surrounding garden
4 Spread the roots over the soil
base, using the shovel handle as a guide
for the top level of soil Be careful not to
break the roots or remove any of the
bark on the roots
5 Settle the soil and remove air
pockets by watering slowly Check the
soil level and the rate of drainage Add
FLOWERS (Annuals)
Preparation of the soil, even if it is
not to a great depth is very important to
the growth of these colorful plants that
can provide beauty, contrast and
change to a garden throughout the year
Loosen the soil with a shovel or garden
trowel Rake well to remove leaves
twigs and rocks Mixing commercial
planting soil or home compost into the
garden will help poor soil
1 Plan placement of annuals as
carefully as you would permanent
plants Follow site suggestions on the
more soil if necessary
6 Build a dirt basin around the hole
to help the tree get a good start For the
first month after planting, the root ball
area will need to be watered every two
to three days In periods of heavy rain, it
will be necessary to slit a portion of the
dirt levee to release water If after the
first watering, a bare root tree shrinks
below the current level, gently pull
upward slightly higher than it should
Water Basin for Minimum Run off
SOD
Choosing the type of sod that is best
for your location is the most important
step in beginning a lawn Nursery
personnel can advise you on what
grows best in your area
If you cannot plant the sod soon after
it is purchased, keep it moist and out of
intense summer sun
1 Prepare the bed by loosening the
soil with a tiller or shovel
2 Rake to remove rocks, twigs and
other material which will inhibit
growth If it is necessary to add top soil
make certain that you buy the best your
budget will allow You don t want to
introduce weeds or other grasses into
your lawn if you can avoid them Check
be It should settle back to the right
level
Balled and Burlapped
Planting
1 Prepare hole as suggested in the
Basic Directions
2, Check with the nursery on
whether the burlap has been treated to
tag Flowering annuals have much
more dramatic impact when planted in
masses, rather than strung out at
intervals
2 Annuals are usually sold in small
plastic containers, and there is no
problem in removing the plant If there
are several individual plants within a
container, gently separate them as you
plant Avoid damage to the roots place
them in the desired location as soon as
they are removed from the container
3 Space low edging plants four to
si* inches apart larger plants 12 to 15
inches apart
4 Tamp the soil down around the
with the nursery on the best sources in
your area
3 If you have several yards of top
soil delivered make certain that the
deliveries are not all dumped in the
same place Have them spaced
throughout the planting area This will
greatly reduce the amount of earth
moving required Also when the sod is
delivered ask the delivery person to
space the pads throughout the area to
reduce the amount of walking you have
to do
4 Once the top soil is spread out
level with a long board Add soil where
low spots occur
5 Keep the water running at a
trickle where you begin placing the sod
6 Place the first row carefully
because it will serve as a guide for the
Fill the lower third with commercial planting soil or
home compost up to a height that will bring the top of
the container soil even with the natural level of the
rest of the garden
Add root stimulator according to directions on the
container
Remove the plant from the container
a Tap lightly on the bottom of small containers
Plant should slip out easily If not water
lightly, and It will come out
b If you have not had large containers cut at the
nursery, strike the container lightly on the
sides and bottom Water well Ease the plant
out of the container by grasping the trunk or
main branches near the crown and pulling
slowly, keeping the root ball intact when
planting
Plant the plant in the hole, checking the depth
Using a mixture of top soil and compost or
commercial planting soil, fill in around tne roots up to
the level of the soil as planted in the container
Water well to allow soil to sink in around the roots
(Some gardeners fill the hole completely with water
before planting to prevent air pockets I You may need
to add soil after the water drains Push down gently
around the roots to remove air pockets and to keep
the plant siraight
Lightly sprinkle the leaves of the plant
Compost
or potting soil
(fill soil)
Soil loosened, rocks
or other obstructions
removed
k Gently push down soil il
'ernove air pockets
Water well around roots
and spunkle leaves of plant
NOW Down to the Specifics
about 12 inches apart for trimming at
two feet, 18 inches apart for four foot
trimming
4 Follow Basic Directions for
Planting
5 Prune about a half of the top
growth of each branch to form thick
base branching for a natural hedge
about three-fourths for a formal hedge
If you have purchased a plant with only
two or thre^e-base branches, it is best to
trim these' back by about one-half at
plaptmg and continue to prune as
branches form to encourage fuller
growth Evergreens should be sheared
lust enough to make them uniform
6 In maintenance trimming, allow
sun to reach all levels of the plant by
cutting back the sides of the plant near
the top slightly more than at the bottom
Celebrate Arbor Day
By Planting A Tree
withstand rotting It so. it must be
removed before planting It is best to
wet the root ball well before removing
the burlap Rock the ball to one side and
pull down the burlap as far under the
root ball as possible without disturbing
the soil or the roots Rock it back the
other way. and the root ball should be
free Be careful to keep the soil around
the roots
3 If the burlap has not been treated
pull back the burlap about two to three
inches below the soil level Cut the
burlap on the sides and bottom to allow
the roots to spread easily
4 Bu«k) a basin and water as noted
above If a balled and burlapped tree
settles down too far, place a shovel
beneath the ball and gently lift up an
inch or two above the proper level, it
should settle to the correct one
Container grown Planting
1 Prepare hole as suggested in the
Basic Directions
2 Remove the tree from the
container as suggested in the Basic
Directions
3 Cut long roots that may encircle
the root ball so that they will fit into the
hole and not be bent Remove all matted
roots
4 Positioning the tree in the hole is
ball of the plant lightly to remove air
pockets
5 Adding mulch will help to hold
moisture and will help to reduce weed
growth
6 Watering with a trickle hose is
best with flowering annuals because
this method reduces the possiblity of
fungus development It will also reduce
erosion which can occur with overhead
sprinkling If you do not have this type of
hose allow water to run very slowly
from a conventional hose making sure
that all of the plants get adequate water
7 Pinch off the top bud when it
appears to encourage branching
rest of the planting If you are planting
on a slight slope place the sod the long
way to help hold the water and the soil
Other rows should be staggered so that
there is not a straight channel for the
water to flow through
sometimes simplified with the use of a
plastic sheet, which can be eased from
under the root ball when the tree is in
the correct spot If the tree is heavy or
nard to handle, the plastic sheet can be
used as a sling to lower the tree into tne
hole
Sheet
5 Fill in with soil, tamping each
layer down gently
6 Build a basm and water as noted
above If a container grown tree settles
down too far, place a shovel beneath the
ball and gently lift up an inch or two
above the proper level, it should settle to
the correct one
7 The trunk should be protected
from lawn equipment Three stakes
driven into the ground outside the root
ball will usually be sufficient
Pinching Off
It has been more than 100 years
since J Sterling Morton founded
Arbor Day. His simple idea of
setting aside a special day for tree
planting is now more important
than ever. So have an Arbor Day
celebration!
Raise the flag, strike up the
band, make Arbor Day fun. Make
it memorable. Organize a fun run
Make it a real event. See if a local
business will donate prizes. Have a
poster contest or a poetry contest
Get the local PTA to sponsor a
children's pageant or play Orga-
nize and train volunteers to help
you carry out Arbor Day ceremo-
nies in your schools.
Get people excited. Show them
things they've never seen before
Tell them things about trees
they've never heard Launch a
thousand helium balloons with
Arbor Day greetings inside offering
a free tree to anyone who finds and
returns the message
Fill the air with music Have an
Arbor Day concert of songs about
trees or with tree names in their
titles.
Get people into action Ask a
civic or service group to promote a
paper drive to gather paper to be
recycled and save a tree Use the
proceeds to buy a special tree to
plant in a park or other special
public place. Ask a local radio
station to sponsor a tree trivia
contest and give away trees to
winners Conduct a tree search
Ask people to find large, unusual or
historic trees in your community
Tell people to take a hike a tree
identification hike-and have girl
scouts or boy scouts act as guides
Dedicate a forest or a tree or a
flower bed in a park, and make it
an occasion to talk about stew-
ardship. Get a local nursery or
garden center to hold an open
house or field day Organize an
Arbor Day Fair
Get people together Ask re-
tirement homes to invite children
to plant a tree on their grounds and
give the residents a chance to tell
the kids about Arbor Day when
they themselves were children. See
if neighborhood organizations will
hold block parties and get their
members to adopt and care for
street trees in front of their homes
Pass out buttons. Giveaway trees
Make Arbor Day a real holiday
Make it special, and make it an
occasion to look forward to Make
it a day of wonderful memories,
and fill it with the promise of newly
planted trees
Celebrate Arbor Day in a
personal way by planting a tree
yourself It is an act of optimism
and kindness, a labor of love and a
commitment to stewardship
Anyone can do it Start a tree
seed in a cup or a seedling in a pot.
If you have no place to set it out
later, give it to someone who does,
and then watch it grow together
Find a place to plant a seedling or
a sapling or the largest tree you
can handle alone
Each and every tree which is
planted stands as a living reminder
that we all bear responsibilities of
stewardship. We are living links in
a chain of humanity stretching
from the dimmest past into an
unknown future We can help make
that future more certain by
performing a simple act-by plant
ing a tree.
Texas Has A Tree
Awareness Program
li
"V.
Stagger Sod
On Grade
7 Everyone develops his own style
for laying sod but dropping the piece in
place and shoving it in place with the
foot can save some backaches
8 Keep the sod watered as you go
This step will help the sod to settle
especially if you have had to bring in
additional top soil Keep heavy
machinery and children and their
games off the new sod (or a few weeks
otherwise you could have some pits
and ruts caused by sinking
Trees and forests are extremely-
important to the environment,
economy, physical and mental
health, and overall welfare of the
citizens of this state These largest
of all life forms are important in
our cities and towns as well as in
the forests that grace more than 26
million acres of Texas
In 1988 representatives from a
group of organizations sharing a
concern foj- and an interest in the
well being of this valuable, natural
resource pulled together as a
statewide Tree Awareness Com
mittee The committee formulated
three main goals toward which it
would work initially:
(1) To show that treeplanting and
conservation policies can increase
the chances that community
environments will remain healthy
and attractive, thus promoting
growth and economic devel
opment.;
(2) To increase substantially the
number of communities in Texas
that are involved in the Tree City
USA program,
To initiate various projects to
call attention to and encourage the
planting of trees, including a
statewide program the celebration
of Arbor Day in Texas beginning in
1990
Arbor Day is an excellent vehicle
to promote the planting of tree^ in
our cities and towns and in our
countryside It is day set aside to
place emphasis on not only plant-
ing trees but planting the right tree
in the proper location to improve
the environment, commemorate an
event or individual, and improve
the economic and aesthetic value of
both private and public property
Arbor Day originally began with
promotion of tree planting by-
public schools and has since
attracted all sorts of organization
including garden clubs, city parks
and recreation departments, the
scouting programs and other youth
organizations It is a great vehicle
for attracting public attention to
very positive activities.
The Tree Awareness Committee
made up of representatives of both
state agencies and private organi
zations. is committed to helping
Texans better understand how to
plant and care for trees as well as
the many resulting benefits in their
local communities To this end it is
the intent of the committee to
develop publications, news re-
leases, video and audio tapes and
other means to disseminate helpful
information
If you would like more informa
lion on how to take part in this
exciting program, please contact
Dr M J Walterscheidt, 302
Horticulture/Forestry Sciences
Building, Texas A & M University,
College Station Texas 77843-2i:ir>
i 409' 84f>1351
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Roberts, Kenneth. The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1989, newspaper, January 12, 1989; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth195167/m1/9/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.