Trees enhance the beauty and value of homes, streets and communities. However, trees

planted in the wrong place can cause property damage and become a detriment rather than an

asset. Carefully planning the location and species of a tree will ensure that the tree will be an

asset and not grow into a hazard or a nuisance. Before choosing a tree, consider these factors:

purpose for planting the tree, soil conditions, tree location (the right place), species growth and

form (the right tree), and undesirable species traits.

Trees and shrubs add beauty and value to a home’s landscape. But as few as 50% of planted trees do not survive beyond one or two years. Why? Improper installation is the leading cause of failure of newly planted trees. You can grow trees successfully if you are aware of a few important planting guidelines.

Planting the biggest tree you can afford is not always the best option. Though it is true 2” to 4” caliper trees give an instantly-landscaped look to homes, these trees are more prone to transplant shock and water stress. Transplant shock occurs from the loss of root system when the tree is dug from the nursery. As much as 95% of the plant’s roots may be removed during the digging process. This means fewer roots are available to provide water to the many branches and leaves. Symptoms range from scorch on the edges of leaves, dieback in the crown, increased vulnerability to diseases, insects, and drought, or tree death. Transplant shock, more or less, continues until the tree canopy and tree roots come into balance. For comparison, a 1” caliper tree planted with 5% of its root mass, provided good care, can recover 100% of its roots by the end of one year. A 4” caliper tree planted with 5% of its root mass, will take five years to recover 100% of its root mass. During this time the smaller caliper tree may easily catch up in size

to the larger tree.

Planting too deeply can kill trees. This problem may occur from three causes. First, overambitious hole diggers can easily dig the planting hole too deep for the root ball. Backfill placed in the bottom of the hole that is not recompacted will allow the root ball to sink as the soil settles. Avoid this situation by measuring the height of your root ball and leaving about 10% of the ball aboveground. Another common mistake is excessive mulching. Excessive mulch reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the roots, causing them to grow into the mulch. During a drought the mulch will dry out as will the roots, thus causing root loss. Never apply more than 2 to 3 inches of mulch.

Helping TreesSurvive Planting

By Kelly JacksonAgent for Horticulture, Christian Co. Cooperative Extension

www.uky.edu/hort

Continued on Page 2

May - July

2019

Image credit: Virginia State Parks via Flickr

Growing space both above and below ground should be considered when selecting a tree to plant. Too

often allowances are not made for the increased size of the tree when it matures. Some of the problems

that can be avoided by selecting the proper tree for the available planting space are: damage to houses

through cracked foundations, leaves in gutters or abrasion of tree limbs hitting the house; cracked

pavement of sidewalks, driveways, porches and patios; sewer lines or septic tanks clogged by roots;

dangerous screening by obscuring traffic signs, pedestrians or vehicles; storm damage and electrical

problems from trees or limbs affecting utility lines; and blocking scenic views or windows.

Finally, sometimes trees may be shipped from the nursery already at a disadvantage. Container stock that has been transplanted into larger pots could have its roots buried in the process. Balled and burlapped trees may have extra soil on the top of the ball due to cultivation and digging. As a result, the roots become too deep in the ball or container. Inspect trees at the time of purchase to see if the root flair (the place where the trunk becomes the roots) is near the surface. Ones that are 2 or more inches below the surface should be avoided or at the very least remove the soil until you can see the root flair when planting. Remember to use only the existing soil on site when filling in your planting hole, no amendments should be added.

It’s okay to loosen or even cut the roots. When planting container-grown trees be sure to remove the container and inspect for circling roots. You may be able to tease these roots loose from the media and spread them out in the planting hole. If a plant is severely pot-bound, use a knife or pruners to make vertical slices through the roots in several places to divide compacted roots. Leaving circling roots will eventually lead to girdling of other roots or the tree trunk itself. Girdling restricts the movement of water to the tree’s canopy and can lead to decline. Girdling can also occur on balled-and-burlapped trees. Natural burlap is bio-degradable and needs only to be removed from the top portion of the root ball, but synthetic burlap will not decompose and can girdle roots. If a wire basket is holding together natural burlap, remove it if possible, if not cut and fold down the top half of the basket.

2TreesCont.

Helping TreesSurvive Planting

By Kelly JacksonAgent for Horticulture, Christian Co. Cooperative Extension

Continued

If your planting hole is too small, don’t break or bend roots to make them fit. Take the time and enlarge your planting hole. The hole should be 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball at the top of the hole sloping inward to the width of the root ball at the base. Be sure to remove tags, wires, or ropes from the stems or trunk of plants.

Looking at my lawn and landscape this week, the grass and most shrubs are green and healthy, but I realize that soon, warmer weather will be here bringing with it insect and disease. Good cultural practices will help minimize damage but when our plants are struggling, often our first thought is to feed it. It makes sense; when I am feeling ill, brownies always helps me.

Turf and landscape, however, typically do not need much fertilizer in the summer. If you look at natural areas, it is obvious that most plants do well without added fertilizer. Nevertheless, research has shown that the addition of certain materials to the soil can sometimes cause plants to produce more fruit, grow faster, and reveal more and brighter flowers. So how do you know what your soil needs? A soil test is the only sure way of determining the amount of nutrients to add to the soil.

Soil test reports make recommendations for the amount and type of fertilizer to add. This will depend on the amount of organic matter present, your soils’ natural fertility and the crop you are growing. You can get a soil test box and information sheet from the Cooperative Extension Service.

When deciding what type fertilizer to use, you basically have two choices: organic and inorganic. Organic fertilizer is derived from living plants or animal wastes and is slow to break down and be absorbed by the plants. One potential drawback of organic fertilizers is that they may not release enough of their nutrients at the right time because they depend on soil organisms for breakdown of the nutrient source. Soil organisms are dependent on soil moisture and temperature to be active. However, the advantage to organic fertilizers is that they increase the soil’s organic content and improve the soil’s physical structure. Some examples of organic fertilizers include: cottonseed meal, blood meal, compost, and fish emulsion.

Selecting &Using Fertilizers

By Andy RideoutAgent for Horticulture, Henderson Co. Cooperative Extension

Lawncare 3

Fertilizer usually ends up on driveways, walks, sidewalks, and even streets. Sweep this fertilizer up and put it back in the bag, or sweep or blow it back into your lawn. Fertilizer that stays on hard surfaces can be washed into streams or other water bodies, or storm drains that lead to the same places. Protect the water by keeping fertilizer where it belongs.

Inorganic (chemical) fertilizers are manufactured and are in ready-to-use form for plants when applied. Examples include ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, super phosphate and potassium chloride. So which type should you use? Simple, if you need a quick growth response, select inorganic fertilizers. If you want to improve your garden soil and are not in a rush for nutrients, select an organic fertilizer.

In general, fertilizers for turf as well as your general landscape plants should be applied in late winter or spring. This assures the nutrients will be available as these plants as they come out of dormancy. Fertilizing in the summer can cause disease problems in cool season lawns. Summer annuals and vegetables do best when fertilized after planting in April and May.Continued on Page 4

Selecting &Using Fertilizers

Continued

By Andy RideoutAgent for Horticulture, Henderson Co. Cooperative Extension

LawncareContinued 4

Grasscycling refers to letting grass clippings lie on the lawn after cutting. These clippings can provide up to 25 percent of your lawn’s fertilizer needs, saving you time and money. One hundred pounds of lawn clippings can yield up to three to four pounds of nitrogen. You don’t need a specialized mulching mower to grasscycle, although you might want to replace your current mower blade with a mulching blade, which cuts grass into smaller pieces that decompose more quickly.

How to apply fertilizer typically depends on the formulation you purchase. As a general rule of thumb, use granular fertilizers for established plants in late winter or early spring. Apply this formulation to the ground and allow it to filter into the soil. Slow-release fertilizers are in a time-release form and are best for annuals, perennials and vegetables where you want to release a small amount of nutrients over a long period of time. You can use soluble fertilizers where the nutrients are dissolved in water and applied using a hose-end sprayer or watering can. Specialize equipment is often needed to apply liquid fertilizers on home lawns to ensure a consistent application.

As you can tell, there is some thought involved in selecting the best fertility plan. Regardless of your choice, be sure to read the label. The biggest mistake most people make is to believe if a little works that a lot will work better. This type of thinking is not advised because it cost more, gives no additional benefit to plants, and can contribute to pollution of our lakes and streams.

This summer, take a look at the overall health of your lawn and landscape and identify plants that seem to be struggling more than they should. Consider a fall feeding on your lawn and selected plants or throughout your landscape. Your grass and landscape will thank you. If you have questions about your lawn fertility, give your local Cooperative Extension Office a call.

Pests 5

IPM programs include: monitoring pests and natural

enemy populations, selecting crops and varieties that are

resistant to pests, timing plantings and harvest dates to

minimize pest damage, crop rotation, using beneficial

insects and other biological controls.

There is nothing worse than coming into your garden to discover that seemingly, overnight, an entire crop was eliminated by insects. And once done, months of hard work can be negated for an entire season. While it seems like pests appear and disappear at random, there is a pattern to their movement and subsequently a pattern for prevention.

Integrative Pest Management (IPM) is a comprehensive strategy for controlling pest insects in your garden through a combination of cultural practices (growing habits), insect scouting and proper pest treatment. The best gardeners employ a variety of practices to keep insects in check in their gardens, including maintaining healthy plants through regular watering and weeding. Extension office’s across the state teach classes and workshops on IPM practices that will allow you to keep your garden healthy with low levels of insect damage. The University of Kentucky also publishes a monthly e-newsletter, Kentucky Pest News, that covers all insect-related events as they occur in the state along with the most current research on management. You can subscribe to this directly by visiting: http://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/extension/kpn.

As always, if you need help or any questions, feel free to call your Cooperative Extension Office.

PeskyPests

By Bethany PrattAgent for Horticulture, Taylor Co. Cooperative Extension

The best way to avoid tomato troubles is to start with a variety that is resistant to pests. The second best way is to start with healthy plants. They are better able to fend off diseases and pests than stressed or weak plants. Choose a planting site in full sun and keep the soil evenly moist throughout the season.

6TomatoProblems

By Amanda SearsAgent for Horticulture, Madison Co. Cooperative Extension

For all the joy and satisfaction that growing tomatoes can give a gardener, the frustration and aggravation can be equally as great! Several issues can plague the tomato grower. Here are a few non-disease problems:

Blossom drop can occur when nighttime temperatures are below 55F. Rain can also hinder pollination and so can high humidity. Shaking the plant can encourage better fruit set by helping to release the pollen for pollination.

No fruit developing on the plant can be caused by too much nitrogen fertilization. In addition to no fruit development, plants that have had too much nitrogen fertilization will appear very large and dark green.

Leaf curling is caused by an excessive amount of rain.

Blossom-end rot appears as a black leathery scar on the blossom end of the fruit. This is the end opposite where the tomato attaches to the vine. The most common cause of blossom-end rot is an inconsistency in soil moisture that leads to a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit. This is often times seen when we go from periods of really wet weather to periods of hot, dry weather. Correct by maintaining uniform soil moisture through mulching and irrigating. Mulching helps to retain moisture within the soil, it cools the soil and reduces the competition for water with weeds.

Fruit cracks usually occur during hot rainy periods (above 90°F), especially when preceded by a long dry period. Fruits exposed to the sun are most susceptible.

Sunscald first appears as a yellow or white patch on the side of the fruit facing the sun. The spot may blister and dry, forming a paper-like surface. Poor foliage cover allows exposure to sun such as on pruned, staked tomatoes, sprawling plants, or unhealthy plants. Caging offers the best protection.

Blotchy ripening, the uneven development of color, may be due to temperatures below 60°F, root stress from compacted or soggy soil, or low levels of potassium in the soil. The fruits can still be used, simply cut away the poorly-colored areas.

Fruits &Veggies

Plants that are well suited to their site will establish quickly, they will have a healthy root system, and be healthier plants. Healthy plants will be much better equipped to withstand problems than those who are struggling with an environment. Healthy plants growing in ideal conditions will be less likely to become diseased. The same way we are less likely to catch a cold if we are well-rested and healthy. Healthy plants are also less likely to be adversely affected by insect damage. If a few insects munch on healthy plants, the plants are likely to shrug off the damage and keep on growing and flowering.

7FlowersPlants forTough Sites

By Amy Aldenderfer Agent for Horticulture, Hardin Co. Cooperative Extension

I grew up with a yard that had a slope facing east, shaded by a mature tree with miniscule amounts of good fertile soil to grow any type of plant. I have also inherited this site in my new garden. This area is too steep to mow easily and the grass is so thin it’s mostly weeds. I’m a gardener so I’m not opposed to removing the lawn in favor of perennials and shrubs.

So what grows in these harsh conditions? One of the shrubs that thrive is bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). Bottlebrush buckeye is noted for being one of the best summer-flowering shrubs for shade areas. It is a dense, mounded, suckering, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub which typically grows 6-12’ tall that blooms June to July. Bottlebrush buckeye requires even moisture to become established, but then tolerates drier soils. It’s also native to the southeastern United States and is attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.

Other shrubs that you might consider include: St. John’s wort (Hypericum calycinum), Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Plenifolia’), Korean boxwood (Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Wintergreen’), or Hop tree (Ptelea trifoliata).

If you would like some smaller perennials that will cover the ground try Epimedium x versicolor or Bishop’s hat. Epimedium are clump-forming perennials that can tolerate dry conditions. ‘Sulphureum’, which typically grows 8-12” tall, is primarily used as a ground cover or edger in shady or woodland areas. It features short-spurred yellow flowers which appear above the foliage in spring. E. x versicolor spreads a little faster than other epimediums by underground rhizomes but is not aggressive in a garden. The wiry petioles form tidy mounds of foliage. In mild winters the foliage is evergreen. Cut back old foliage before the new emerges in the spring.

Other perennials that will thrive in dry shade: Bergenia cordifolia (pigsqueak), lily of the valley, Eurybia spp (white wood aster), Helleborus spp. (Lenten Rose), Hosta, and Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal).

There is always a plant to put in the right place.

Thank you to the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Plant Finder feature on their website: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/

Upcoming Events 8 Upcoming

Horticulture Events

June 6How to Make a Flower Press270-527-3285Marshall County Extension Office (Benton)

June 6Hypertufa Planter606-864-4167Laurel County Extension Office (London)

August 1Preserving Summer Flowers270-527-3285Marshall County Extension Office (Benton)

October 3Preserving Fall Flowers270-527-3285Marshall County Extension Office (Benton)

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