Planting Guide
Flowering Shrubs
Location and Selection
Be sure to choose the right-sized shrub for the area you have
in mind. Many people are disappointed when their small, pretty
bush quickly outgrows the area they planned for it. Some plants
thrive in full, hot sun while others require shade. Match the
plant with the area you have for it. A selection of different
types of shrubs planted in the yard provides a variety of flower
colors, blooming periods, sizes and textures, and lends interest
to the garden.
Planting
Dig
a hole twice as wide and only as deep as the rootball of the
shrub. Be sure to adjust the hole so that the top of the rootball
is 1" to 2" above ground level. Next, remove the container.
Plastic pots can be removed by turning the shrub upside down
or laying it on its side and gently tapping at the pot until
the shrub slides out. Refill the hole with a blended mixture
of 1/3 Sunshine Peat Moss or Soil Pep and 2/3 of your garden
soil. Firm the backfill by tamping it gently. Build a watering
basin around the shrub high enough to hold 3" to 4"
of water. Make the basin at least as wide as the hole that was
dug. Immediately water the shrub deeply by filling the basin
with water once, letting it soak in, and filling it up a second
time. If the shrub is in a lawn, remove the basin after this
initial watering. The use of Fertilome Root Stimulator at planting
time will greatly reduce transplant shock and encourage your
shrubs to resume their normal growing habits more quickly.
Feeding
Fertilize with Ross Fertilizer Spikes in the spring. Evenly
space them around the plant. Breaking them in half will help
distribute the fertilizer more evenly. If you have large groups
of shrubs, use Bookcliff Gardens Choice Professional Turf Food.
Apply it in late April after irrigation water is available and
again in mid June. Be sure to water it in well after applying.
Iron supplements may be needed for certain shrubs. Use Fertilome
Liquid Iron two to four times in the spring and early summer.
Pests
Most disease and insect problems should be dealt with as they
appear. Because of the variety of possible problems, proper
diagnosis is very important. Bring in an affected plant sample
to Bookcliff Gardens where we can diagnose the problem and prescribe
proper treatment. An application of Fertilome Dormant Oil Spray
in early March can help prevent lots of problems in the coming
season as well.
Watering
It is impossible to give a watering schedule that will be right
for everyone all of the time. Factors such as the soil type,
how big the plant is, how fast the plant is growing, air temperature,
humidity, wind and light intensity all will affect how often
a particular plant will need watering.
The basic rule of thumb is to water deeply, but infrequently.
Get the water down a minimum of 18" at each watering. This
encourages the plant to develop a deep, drought tolerant root
system. Then give the soil a chance to dry slightly between
waterings. It is common for people to kill or unnecessarily
stress their plants by watering too frequently. The roots of
a plant require oxygen in order to function. If the soil is
constantly waterlogged, there is not enough oxygen available
to the root system and the roots suffocate and begin to die.
Knowing this, our recommendation is to water deeply by building
a basin around plants that are not watered by lawn sprinklers.
It should be wide enough to accommodate the root system of the
plant (generally out to the drip line of the plant) and high
enough to hold three or four inches of water when full. Fill
the basin full, let it soak in, and fill it a second time. Then
don't water the plant again until the soil in the basin begins
to dry. Don't just look at the soil surface; dig down 4"
to 6" to see how dry the soil is. The soil should be showing
some significant drying down at that depth. One little trick
is to scoop up a handful of soil from that depth and squeeze
it into a ball. If the ball holds its shape after you let go,
the soil is still wet. If the ball falls apart, its time to
water. Using this method several times, you will be able to
determine your own watering schedule.
For plants that will be watered with lawn sprinklers, water
as described above at planting time. Then remove the basin.
Most of the plant's day to day water needs will be met by the
lawn watering. However, a deep soaking every month or two is
recommended in addition to the lawn watering. In addition, during
the winter a monthly deep soaking of all newly planted shrubs
is a good idea. This should be done for the first two winters
after planting.
Pruning
Most shrubs require little, if any, pruning to maintain desired
shape and vigor. Pruning is best confined to removal of dead,
diseased, unsightly, or competing branches. Shrubs that bloom
in the spring (lilacs, forsythia, snowball quince, etc.) are
best pruned immediately after blooming. Shrubs that bloom later
(spireas, potentilla, buddleia, etc.) are best pruned in the
early spring, before they begin growth. Flowering shrubs with
a suckering type habit of growth (lilacs, snowball, dogwoods,
etc.) should be periodically renovated by removing older (5
to 10 year old) woody stems at ground level.
Our Guarantee
Thanks for buying a plant from Bookcliff Gardens. Our goal
is that you be successful with every plant you purchase from
us. We'll try to give you as much information and instruction
as it takes to make this happen. If you have any questions,
please ask! We'll do our best to answer them. However, since
this is not a perfect world, and in spite of the best of both
of our efforts, plants sometimes die. If this happens within
the first year after buying the plant from us, we will replace
it; give you an equal amount of credit; or refund your money
if you have your receipt. We limit our guarantee to replacing
a plant only once, and the guarantee does not apply to annual
bedding plants or house plants. If you're having a problem with
a plant, come in and talk to us about it; we'll try to find
out what happened so we won't lose another plant. It's in both
of our interests that the plants you buy from us grow and thrive.
We want you to be successful!
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Bookcliff Gardens
(970) 242-7766
755 26 Road (North 1st at I-70) • Grand Junction, Colorado 81506
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©2008, Bookcliff Gardens
