Dr. Grow: Planting perfectly: Four steps will assure a tree or shrub handles any season

In my last column I explained why fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. Now I want to give you four tips that will make your fall plantings successful.

First, you must amend the soil. Most of the soils in the Heartland contain high amounts of clay. You need to add organic matter to these soils to make them more friable. When planting a tree or shrub by itself, dig a large hole. Dig a hole about two to three times larger than the diameter of the root wad. Then add peat moss to the dirt that you dig out of the hole. Use two parts soil to one part peat. Make sure that you rough up the edges and the bottom of the hole. You don't want to leave a hole that acts like a clay pot.

If you are planting an entire shrub bed, then amend the soil for the entire bed with the ratio of two-thirds soil and one-third peat. Place about two inches of peat over the entire planting bed. Then till the peat into the existing soil to a depth of six inches. When you plant after preparing the soil for the entire bed, you do not need to add peat to the soil excavated for each plant.

Second, when planting shrubs that are bought in containers, you must remove the pot from the root wad. Next, shoot a jet of water at the root wad. Balled and burlapped trees and shrubs do not need this treatment. You want to eliminate about one to two inches of root substrate from the perimeter of the root wad. This will result in a lot of free root ends spreading out from the root wad. Failure to treat the root wad with the water jet before planting may result in death of the plant. Roots will tend to grow in a circle and not move into the new soil. Next place the plant root wad into the excavated hole and back fill with amended soil. Since a lot of free roots extend from the root wad, they will automatically be teased into the new soil after backfilling.

If your plants are balled and burlapped, do not treat the root wad like you would for containerized plants.

Third, after backfilling, water the new plant thoroughly with a solution of root stimulator. This fertilizer solution has a low nitrogen content and a high phosphorous content. This ratio of nutrients will encourage new root development. Rapid root development is exactly what you want when you have just planted new trees and shrubs.

Watering the new plant thoroughly means to water it well enough to make not only the root wad wet, but also having all of the surrounding soil completely soggy. This initial watering is essential for developing new roots.

The final step for successful planting is to monitor and water properly after planting. Too much or too little watering can kill the plant.

After the initial watering, monitor the soil moisture content by sticking your finger in the soil surrounding the new planting. Wet soil, don't water. Dry soil, then water.

I can't give you a specific formula such as water one quart every two days. The weather will determine how often and how much you need to water. For example, if the days are hot and the wind is blowing, then you may need to water every day. If the days are overcast and it has just rained, you may not need to water for two or three days. When you plant in the fall you must monitor soil moisture conditions all winter long. This is especially true for broadleaf evergreens. Unlike deciduous trees and shrubs, they will continue to transpire all winter long. If you do not provide adequate amounts of moisture during the winter, they could suffer from winter burn and die.

Some plants may have other specific requirements. For example, azaleas need their soil amended not only with peat, but also with sulfur. For specific requirements for specific plants, go to your local garden center. Their personnel should be able to tell you if a plant has any specific planting requirements. Don't think that the spring or the fall is the only time to plant.

If you follow these steps, you can plant at any time of the year, except when the ground is frozen. You can even plant in December or in August and be successful.

Paul Schnare of Cape Girardeau has been in the lawn and garden business for more than 20 years. He's an adjunct professor in horticulture at Southeast Missouri State University.