Trees: - Let's start with Burlap plants. Closely examine the root ball on the plant that you have purchased. Did the nursery wrap twine around the ball to hold the plant secure? This should be removed completely. Pay close attention around the stem of the plant where it emerges from the root ball, as diggers often wrap the twine around the stem several times as they tie the ball. This is extremely important because if the string is nylon, it will not rot and will girdle and kill the plant two or three years after planting.



When Burlap plants are stored in the nursery for extended periods of time it becomes necessary to re-burlap them if the bottom starts to rot before the plants are sold. If the plant that you buy has been re-lapped it is possible that there could be nylon stings between the two layers of burlap, check the stem carefully. Is the root ball wrapped in genuine burlap, or imitation burlap made of a non-biodegradable plastic material. Genuine burlap will rot quickly underground and does not have to be disturbed before planting. If you're not sure or suspect a poly type burlap you don't have to remove it completely, but you should loosen it around the stem of the plant and cut some vertical slices around the circumference of the ball.

If the native soil isn't suited to the tree or shrub, then they are best grown in a container that may be sunken into the ground; this is a better option than trying to change the soil with amendments.

Plants that are grown in containers (especially those with tightly wound root balls) should be loosened and some of the soil shaken off the roots prior to planting. The plant roots need to be in contact with the soil in which they will be growing...not the mix that was used at the nursery. Nursery growing mixes are generally bark based, and are formulated to dry out quickly, to prevent over watering in a nursery container. Most nurseries irrigate once or up to three times daily, and if the soil isn't completely dry after each irrigation, the plant will drown. If you leave this root ball intact after the plant is planted, the roots still dry quickly because the soil in the root ball is porous and water can easily pass through, leaving the plant parched. When planted with the soil ball intact, the roots can begin to die quite quickly, while the surrounding native soil may still appear damp for weeks. Plants can be virtually dead within a few weeks, and still have green leaves for a long time.

It is a mistake when planting trees and shrubs, to introduce large amounts of compost and other amendments around the roots. Research has indicated that in general, roots of ornamental trees and shrubs were consistently larger in the ground where additional composts where not added. The amendments seemed to encourage roots to stay in the vicinity of their planting holes and not grow out into the surrounding soil, leading to stunted root systems. The conclusions reached were that it's best to let the roots begin to grow in the native soil right away and to use organic matter on the surface as mulch, rather than mixing it with the soil.

Removing the native soil and replacing it with soil amendments causes problems with water movement in and out of the root zone. An example of how this works in reality is after a torrential downpour. There is water everywhere, and it is not going to soak into that harder more compacted soil, so it is just flowing across the top of the ground searching for the lowest point. When it reaches our newly planted tree surrounded by loose organic matter, it is going to seep in until the planting hole is completely filled with water.

A similar problem occurs when gravel is placed in the bottom of a bed to increase drainage. In reality, it decreases drainage, as water moving vertically through soils, stops when it reaches a different layer, even if the layer is more permeable.

Only after the soil reaches saturation capacity, will the water move through the gravel. Some plant will die if the soil becomes saturated for even a short period. This is especially true when plants are actively growing and in need of a regular supply of oxygen to their roots. By using this planting technique it has actually created a French drain around the plant, stifling if of oxygen for long periods of time. This is especially true if the bottom of the hole is clay, even though gravel has been added for drainage, there is nowhere for the water to go, and the plant is going to suffer and likely die.