1.) Prepare the soil with as much compost as possible. Work compost into a thick layer of soil. A fork spade reaches deeper than a rototiller. Add peat moss to the compost in a ratio of 1:1 for acid loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurels, Blueberries, Dogwoods and many other trees and woodland plants. You can also add bark mulch as a soil conditioner and work it into the soil. Peat moss needs to be pre-moistened before use (best done in a wheelbarrow)!

2.) Place your plant in the prepared bed, no deeper than it was in the container! (Exception: Clematis can be 1-2" deeper) The planting hole should be dug no deeper than the container, but ideally 2 or 3 times wider. Loosen the bottom of the planting hole slightly. Place your plant in the hole and do not use compost under the plant! Many trees, especially evergreens, do better if they are mounded up! In this case, a generous layer of bark mulch facilitates water penetration and makes watering easier. Planting too deep, or later sinking of the plant in a location that initially was dug up too deep is sure death for many garden plants.

3.) Do not remove entire wire basket of balled & burlaped plants! Remove upper third or half after the trees has been properly placed, backfill half high, then open up burlap around trunk and fold back and down. Continue backfilling and cover burlap, which will eventually rot away. Removing entire wire basket can cause root ball to break and can severely damage root system!

4.) Put some mild pressure on the soil to secure the plant. Since most plants like fluffy, porous soil, avoid compacting soil all around the plant - two steps, one to the right, on to the left, are often enough to anchor the plant.

5.) Cover planting site with mulch. Bark mulch and compost are excellent mulches that keep the soil fluffy and porous and allow water and air to penetrate the soil. Compost helps to nourish the soil, while barkmulch is better to suppress weeds and lasts longer.

6.) Water immediately and thoroughly after planting! This is absolutely essential for planting success. It helps to wash soil between the roots and refreshes the plant in its new home. Watering has to be right for every plant. Some tiny rock garden plants need only a short soft shower to be fully soaked. Too much water would wash soil away and expose roots to drying sun and wind. Most perennials and smaller shrubs need a deep soaking, and some gardeners give it a second deep soaking the same day just to make sure they soaked down deep enough. When planting larger shrubs and trees, it is best to fill up the planting hole with water before the plant is placed, in order to saturate the soil even in greater depth. The plant is placed after all water has disappeared. After planting, another deep soaking is necessary.

- bark mulch or compost mulch facilitates water penetration.

- Lawn sprinklers are absolutely inadequate for larger container shrubs or balled & burlaped trees, where the root balls are often 12 to 18" deep. Lawn sprinklers only reach 3-4" deep!

- Most shrubs need 2-3 deep waterings per week. Watering deeply and not as often is better than frequent, shallow watering. Let soil dry off between watering to allow for airflow in the soil. Larger shrubs and trees (root ball 18" or more wide) need only one very thorough soaking. Small plants dry out quicker and need more frequent watering, up to once a day.

- Established plants should not need watering at all unless extensive drought occurs. Most woody plants become established ca. 1 year after planting.

- If plants, especially larger ones, get watered every day, they might die from lack of aeration of their root system! First symptom is yellowing of the leaves.

7 .) Be very reserved when fertilizing your shrubs and trees in the first season. A good soil preparation with plenty of compost should take care of your plants appetite. In general, woody plants and slow growing plants (especially dwarf conifers and rock garden plants) need less food. While fast growing and heavy leafed shrubs, many perennials and most annuals need a lot of food in a short time. They do best in very deep, rich soil, loaded with compost and peat moss, and generously enriched with readily available fertilizers. Hydrangea, Iris, Daylilies, Hosta, Ligularia, Hollyhock, tall grasses, Canna Lilies, Dahlias, Elephant Ears are examples for this.

For woody plants and most perennials, do not use fertilizer late in the season, let's say from August on, since late growth does not allow plant tissue to harden off for winter.

8.) We recommend the use of Mycorrhiza inoculants or root stimulators with woody plants (except Rhododendrons and other broadleaf evergreens). They are mixed into the soil during planting.