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2016 Spring Home Improvement
LINCON DAILY
NEWS.comMay 2, 2016 Page 23
Your plan should begin with an assessment of what
you already have, a conceptual idea of what you
intend in the end, soil and light conditions of the areas
you would like to develop, stages of development,
hardscape materials that will be needed, estimated
costs and a rough budget.
You may be expecting to only live in your home a few
years or you may be planning for a lifetime. Plans
will differ vastly, and may affect what plants you
purchase.
Choosing shrubs and trees
If you are needing to achieve a more mature finished
look for your property, you will probably want to
consult with a professional landscaper who can also
plant larger materials for you.
No matter whether you go to shop - the nursery, a
garden center, order from a catalogue or online, or
purchase from a secondary source like a general
merchandise or grocery store, there are specific
growing condition details provided for every variety
of tree or shrub.
The first condition to pay close attention to is what
temperature zone is the plant is suited. Average low
temperatures in Logan County range from -10 to -15
degrees Fahrenheit with a
zone designation 5b
.
If you buy local, you will likely be getting a plant
suited to the local climate, but pay attention to the
label anyway.
Few plants are at their best in all conditions.
You will also want to pay attention to these key
characteristics which vary from plant to plant:
n
Light preferences:
shade, partial shade, full sun.
n
Soil conditions: some plants will not tolerate sitting
for days with wet roots after heavy rains such as in
low lying areas that don’t drain or heavy clay; others
prefer consistent moisture and need humus rich soil.
n
Spacing between plants: like people, some plants
are great melding close together, others need air space.
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Size at maturity: most likely if you are installing
your own trees and shrubs, they will grow
considerably larger in the coming years, count on it.
Other observations before you purchase
Some common sense tips while out shopping include
observing the over-all quality of the stock. Plants
should not look stressed from heat, lack of watering,
or over watered. While herbaceous annual and
perennial plants often bounce back from such stresses,
woody trees and shrubs often suffer irreparable
damage.
You should look for straight trunks on trees, good
clean pruning techniques, no stubs or knot holes that
could attract disease of insects. Shrubs should have
hardy growth, not spindly or weak sprouts.
CONTIUNED ►