As a designer I am constantly asked about installing a "low maintenance" landscape. For some reason I really get a kick out of this as people think that a living, growing landscape can look beautiful without any effort. Landscapes like people need care and nuturing for them to be good looking and successful. Water is vital to the survival of most living things. Plants are no exception. I would even dare to say that one of the main contributing factors to the death of a plant is water, either not enough or too much. It has been proven that plants that are irrigated properly (either with an irrigation system or manually) will grow at a faster rate and will have more health and vigor than plants that are left alone and let mother nature do the work. Bottom line; irrigation of plants is critical to the success and vigor of your landscape. For trees and shrubs, once they are established (planted for a minimum of 6-12 months) require 1 " of water per week. There are exceptions so know your plants! This may also be different depending on your soil conditions. Trees and shrubs in sand need more water as the water flows faster thru the soil. Plants in clay/loam soils which are typical here in Northern VA normally do best when they are getting an inch or so per week throughout the year, again this is a general statement. You can measure the amount of water with a rain gauge or cup placed in the area you are trying to track. If you have an irrigation system you can check it after you run your system or after there has been a rain event. Rain is tricky as amounts vary from different location only feet apart. I hear alot about "well it just rained so I do not need to water" when the fact is sure it rained for 10 minutes but you only had a trace amount actually getting to the soil and then due to the heat it evaporated back into the air before it got to the plant. This brings me to my next point: Plants absorb water thru their roots not their leaves! So when you are watering or an irrigation system is watering it is vitally important that the water is getting to the roots and not just hitting the foliage. Also any watering should be from the center of the plant out to at least the drip line (outermost foliage). Some plants for example; Japanese hollies have extremely dense root systems and water will not get to most of roots if you do not water them from the inside out.
Perennials, turf and annuals need more watering more often than most woody shrubs and trees. This is mainly due to the amount of root area and mass that can absorb water proportionally. For example you may notice when things get hot and dry that turf or other plants growing under a tree show drought stress sooner than others surrounding that area. The tree has a large well established root system in that area and has a tremendous capacity to literally suck that moisture out of the ground, where the smaller plants don't have that much capacity, strength of root system, and even depth of their root systems to get to moisture that is in their immediate area. The success of any annual planting is generally due to constant watering until they are at least established. They don't have the root mass, are planted in well drained soil media and are usually in raised beds that tend to dry out quicker. Turf also has a general shallow root system, especially in compacted clay soils, so they need to be watered 2-3 times per week, especially in the heat of the summer.
Here are a few critical watering things to keep in mind:
1) Water throughly. It is much better to water an area once per week for a long period of time vs many times per week for only a few minutes. There are exceptions: such as when plants have just been planted. This includes all plantings, especially sod, annuals and perennials!
2) Water the roots when possible. While usually it is better to water the plant any way you can vs. not watering at all, moisture on leaves in humid high stress conditions can lead to disease activity which can affect the health of the plant. Again if the choice is watering vs. getting water on the leaves by all means water.
3) Too much water in some cases can be just as bad as not enough. Boxwoods, rhododendrons, and many other plants don't like too much or too little water and typically do fine if the soil is well drained. In the clay soils here in Northern VA, too much water that does not drain away can cause some root rot issues along with creating alot of the same stresses that not enough water creates. So know your soils and water requirements for your particular plants and adjust your watering accordingly.
4) Timing of watering. There is alot of misinformation about what time to water. The optimal time is typically early morning just before or as the sun is coming up, ideally everything is done by 10:00am. The thought is as the sun comes up it evaporates the moisture from the leaves that if left wet overnight in hot humid conditions can facilitate disease activity. The opposite can also be a concern; watering in the heat of the day between noon and 5:00pm. The thought here is that in the heat of the day alot of the water you are putting down is evaporating or can magnify the sun, thus burning the leaves (this is a rarity in my opinion and watering will cool the plant, although not as critical).
My suggestion is this: If you have an irrigation system run it in the early morning hours haveing the program end by 9:00 am or so. For example if it takes 4 hours for your system to run it's cycle than start it @ 5:00am or earlier depending on the mowing schedule etc. If you can, do not water on the same day as it is mowed, just makes it easier on the mowing guys and the ground is firmer when not saturated. So if you are typically mowed on a Tuesday don't run your system until Thurs. That give the mowers some flexibility in their schedule in case something happens in their routine.
As far as timing I am more concerned with getting the plants the water they need rather than not doing because of the time of day. With adequate moisture the plants are healthier and fend off streses better and will look better overall. Remember plants need water to survive and thrive, they don't have the ability to just get up and go get a drink when they need it. It is up to us to help them when they need it.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Proper pruning; How critical is it?
Proper Pruning can make or break a landscape.
It is another way to judge just how good your landscape really is.
You can pick the right plant and install it in the correct location only to have the traits of the plant minimalized by improper pruning.
There are a few questions that should be considered before any pruning is done at all:
1) Why am I pruning? For shape?, for structure?
2) Is the pruning going to help or hurt the flowering? Timing is everything on proper flower production for most plants. You need to know when they bloom.
3) Is this plant in the right place? For example am I pruning this plant because it is much too large for the space it is planted in? Some pruning to contain or shape the plant is ok. But if you are having to constantly cut the plant back severly then maybe it is not the right plant for that particular location.
You should know your plant species so that you can prune them properly at the correct time to help bring out the characteristics of the plants. In a perfect world we would prune every plant by hand at the absolute best time. Being realistic with schedules and production you can prune when you need to without doing harm to the plant; providing you are pruning properly. For example most flowering shrubs should be pruned after the flowers have bloomed. Otherwise you may be cuting off the flowers before they have bloomed thus not utilizing the reason the plant was even selected in the landscape. Know your plants: when they bloom, on what type of wood do they bloom; new or older? What will the effect be if they are pruned at a certain time?
Shearing is a way certain shrubs can be pruned, typically evergreens, to create a certain shape or contain a shrub to a certain area. However there are a few things to keep in mind as shearing over time can harm the plant. For example plants that are sheared over time typically only have growth on the outer few inches. Healthy plants typically have foliage growing throughout the plant that allows the leaves to create more energy through photosythesis and also to fill in as branches die or may be damaged. This requires some light getting to the interior of the plant. Too acheive this you may need to "hole punch" the plant by going in and removing small branches that will create a hole for light to get in to the interior of the plant. This also can give the plant more depth when viewed from a distance.
Pruning of perennials. This is one thing people don't usually even think about. I would encourage people to prune or even remove parts of certain perennials to help continue flowering, contain the plant(s) to a certain area, and remove spent or unsightly parts of the plant. This will typically encourage more growth and vigor when the plant is getting adequate nutrients and moisture. So don't forget to maintain your perennials.
Tree pruning can really be an art. In general trees can be pruned any time of year. Of course there are exceptions and you can read up on the particular species. Again the questions are: why you are pruning it, and what you are trying to acheive with the pruning? The key is to make good clean cuts with the proper tools and techniques. A sharp saw is a must for branches typically larger than 1/2" and a clean sharp pair of bypass hand pruners such as a Felco #2. For the saw I like one of the tri-cut saws that you can get in tight spaces but cut very smooth and easily. Word of caution these tools are extremely sharp and do not know the difference between a branch or your finger so pay attention how and what you are cutting!
One key point is to make sure when you make a cut on a branch that it does not rip the bark.
On smaller branches (1" or less) you can usually hold the branch with one hand and cut with the other.
On larger branches I suggest the 3 cut method: 1) About a foot or so above the where the branch is attached to where you want to remove it, cut underneath up into the branch 1/2"-1" depending on the size of the branch (you don't want to cut so much the saw gets bound up). 2) Further out from the underneath cut approximately 3" or so go ahead and cut the branch all the way through. The underneath cut should stop the branch from ripping the bark into the parts of the tree you want to save. 3) Now you can cut the remaining stub off back to the branch collar. This is probably the most critical thing in any tree pruning. Finding and cutting to the branch collar. If you cut into the branch collar, research has shown it severly affects how the tree "compartmentalizes" this wound. I suggest you research what a branch collar may look like for the particular species of tree you would like to prune. You do not want to leave a stub after removing a branch as it severly inhibits the tree from "healing" itself from the cut.
Pruning is an important part to the success of any landscape and hiring a true "professional" or doing it yourself the proper way can add real value to your property. The effort and money spent on pruning is well worth the effort and will set your property off from everyone else's.
It is another way to judge just how good your landscape really is.
You can pick the right plant and install it in the correct location only to have the traits of the plant minimalized by improper pruning.
There are a few questions that should be considered before any pruning is done at all:
1) Why am I pruning? For shape?, for structure?
2) Is the pruning going to help or hurt the flowering? Timing is everything on proper flower production for most plants. You need to know when they bloom.
3) Is this plant in the right place? For example am I pruning this plant because it is much too large for the space it is planted in? Some pruning to contain or shape the plant is ok. But if you are having to constantly cut the plant back severly then maybe it is not the right plant for that particular location.
You should know your plant species so that you can prune them properly at the correct time to help bring out the characteristics of the plants. In a perfect world we would prune every plant by hand at the absolute best time. Being realistic with schedules and production you can prune when you need to without doing harm to the plant; providing you are pruning properly. For example most flowering shrubs should be pruned after the flowers have bloomed. Otherwise you may be cuting off the flowers before they have bloomed thus not utilizing the reason the plant was even selected in the landscape. Know your plants: when they bloom, on what type of wood do they bloom; new or older? What will the effect be if they are pruned at a certain time?
Shearing is a way certain shrubs can be pruned, typically evergreens, to create a certain shape or contain a shrub to a certain area. However there are a few things to keep in mind as shearing over time can harm the plant. For example plants that are sheared over time typically only have growth on the outer few inches. Healthy plants typically have foliage growing throughout the plant that allows the leaves to create more energy through photosythesis and also to fill in as branches die or may be damaged. This requires some light getting to the interior of the plant. Too acheive this you may need to "hole punch" the plant by going in and removing small branches that will create a hole for light to get in to the interior of the plant. This also can give the plant more depth when viewed from a distance.
Pruning of perennials. This is one thing people don't usually even think about. I would encourage people to prune or even remove parts of certain perennials to help continue flowering, contain the plant(s) to a certain area, and remove spent or unsightly parts of the plant. This will typically encourage more growth and vigor when the plant is getting adequate nutrients and moisture. So don't forget to maintain your perennials.
Tree pruning can really be an art. In general trees can be pruned any time of year. Of course there are exceptions and you can read up on the particular species. Again the questions are: why you are pruning it, and what you are trying to acheive with the pruning? The key is to make good clean cuts with the proper tools and techniques. A sharp saw is a must for branches typically larger than 1/2" and a clean sharp pair of bypass hand pruners such as a Felco #2. For the saw I like one of the tri-cut saws that you can get in tight spaces but cut very smooth and easily. Word of caution these tools are extremely sharp and do not know the difference between a branch or your finger so pay attention how and what you are cutting!
One key point is to make sure when you make a cut on a branch that it does not rip the bark.
On smaller branches (1" or less) you can usually hold the branch with one hand and cut with the other.
On larger branches I suggest the 3 cut method: 1) About a foot or so above the where the branch is attached to where you want to remove it, cut underneath up into the branch 1/2"-1" depending on the size of the branch (you don't want to cut so much the saw gets bound up). 2) Further out from the underneath cut approximately 3" or so go ahead and cut the branch all the way through. The underneath cut should stop the branch from ripping the bark into the parts of the tree you want to save. 3) Now you can cut the remaining stub off back to the branch collar. This is probably the most critical thing in any tree pruning. Finding and cutting to the branch collar. If you cut into the branch collar, research has shown it severly affects how the tree "compartmentalizes" this wound. I suggest you research what a branch collar may look like for the particular species of tree you would like to prune. You do not want to leave a stub after removing a branch as it severly inhibits the tree from "healing" itself from the cut.
Pruning is an important part to the success of any landscape and hiring a true "professional" or doing it yourself the proper way can add real value to your property. The effort and money spent on pruning is well worth the effort and will set your property off from everyone else's.
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