Planting

Should you decide to plant, make sure the root balls, either containerized or balled and burlaped of the new specimens are well watered before they are installed. Here's a simple tip. Place the plants in a water filled pool or large bucket and let soak for about 4 hours, remove the plants from the pool and let stand long enough until the excess water drains away, after which time they can be planted. Following installation, immediately mulch the plants then, water until run-off. For the first week, water daily applying 15 gallons of water each time, three- 5 gallon buckets. Starting in week 2 and lasting until November 1st, apply the same amount but reduce the frequency of watering to three times per week. The rule is to NEVER allow installed plants to go longer than 5 days without water during the first year.

Mulching

I know I keep harping on mulching to the point that most of you probably believe I get a penny royalty for every cubic foot of this great stuff that is sold in Rhode Island. All I can say is, "I wish." Seriously, a layer of wood chips, pine bark or facsimile applied over roots in the heat of summer can make a big difference in how well your trees and shrubs perform for many years to come. So what makes mulching such an invaluable plant care treatment? Well, here's my answer. Nothing influences plant growth more than the root system. Maintain a strong, thriving one and you will almost always have a vigorous, healthy tree as well. The key is to keep roots growing. As they grow, they gain greater access to more of the soil environment where ample 'reservoirs' of water and minerals are often available. Study after study shows that roots will continue to grow as long as the soil temperature remains between 45 and 65 degrees. Unfortunately, this optimal temperature range for root growth does not last very long in Rhode Island. It only lasts for approximately 8 weeks at a time between early- May to late- June and, again, between mid- September and mid-November. But, what if we can extend the length of this optimal temperature range to say half a year? Think of what it will mean for our plants. They'd be stronger, more tolerant of stress and, of course, healthier. Research also shows that this is NOT a highly complex problem that can only be solved with the aid of high-tech expensive gadgetry. On the contrary, mulch will do the trick. So avoid excessively high soil temperatures in summer and excessively low ones in winter by applying mulch to plants. This will extend the period for root growth and development on an annual basis which, in turn, will result in healthier plants.

Pruning

Summer pruning (live-wood only) is discouraged for a number of reasons. The major one is that the plant is actively producing and storing carbohydrates via photosynthesis at this time. Any foliage loss will decrease photosynthesis and, in turn, the carbohydrate supply. Another reason is related to pest management. Living agents; fungi, bacteria, insects, etc., that prey on plants are numerous during the summer months. Pruning wounds will provide them with an easy way to invade vulnerable plant tissues under the bark. Also, research shows that volatile chemicals are released when wounding occurs. Many of these 'scents' are very powerful and quite capable of attracting harmful pests to injured trees and shrubs. Knowledgeable arborists understand these summer pruning drawbacks. They act accordingly by deferring live-wood cutting until late fall and winter when these potential plant troubles are mostly past. Finally, if you positively, absolutely must prune your trees and shrubs during summer, be prudent and remove no more than 5-10% of the total mass of live-wood per plant. This amount is well below the 25% threshold used to guide the annual pruning of healthy plants. Less is more in this instance and will help to minimize plant stress during this very stressful time of year.