Top Tips for Planting Shrubs, Trees, and Perennials in Summer (2024)

FAQs

What to add to soil when planting shrubs? ›

Gently break up the soil around the roots of your new shrub as you take it out of its container pot. Fill in your soil with a mixture of the original soil from your gardening bed, as well as any compost or additional topsoil you may have felt it needed.

Yep. For the most part if you water well you can easily and successfully plant trees, shrubs, and perennials in summer. Water deeply every other day for the first few weeks. After this time reduce to about 2-3 times per week depending on your climate, soil, etc.

Generally, you can stick to the same schedule of once every week or two when the plant has established, going in more during dry periods and reeling it in during the rainy seasons. However, how often you water can also be a bit dependent on plant variety.

The best time to plant any plant is during the dormant season – in North America, this is usually late fall through early spring. While it's okay to plant during the rest of the year, it will require more maintenance from you in the form of watering, fertilizers, etc.

Compost helps sandy soils hold more moisture and nutrients, and it makes clay soils lighter and better drained. Compost also adds trace nutrients needed by plants. Work a two to three inch layer of compost into the soil with a rototiller or shovel at least a month prior to planting.

Apply Fertilizer at the Right Time. Actively growing plants absorb fertilizer, typically from budbreak or when new growth begins, up to late summer and early fall. Avoid fertilizing drought-stressed trees and shrubs during the summer months because adequate soil moisture is necessary for the uptake of nutrients.

Work carefully to avoid damaging the root system when uprooting shrubs. You will want to take as much of it as you can. You will also want to move some of the soil from the old location to the new one. You can place larger shrubs on a tarp and drag them to the new location along with some of the soil.

Yes! You can plant trees, shrubs, and even perennials in the summer. The key to successful summer planting is giving your plant a little extra attention. More so than you are used to giving your fall or spring-planted one.

This is especially important to help the roots of new plants get established in the soil. Be careful not to overwater. Many people have inadvertently drowned newly planted trees by watering them too often.

Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.

How can you tell if a newly planted tree has enough water? ›

For a new tree, sample dirt at the base of the tree and for an established tree, test the root zone. Get a pinch of dirt (be sure that it is dirt and not mulch) and roll it around between your fingers. If it sticks together, there is enough moisture. If it is dry and crumbly, it is time to water.

Fill the hole with soil and water again to settle the soil. Repeat this until the soil in the planting hole is level with the surrounding soil. Mulching is one of the best things that we can do for a plant or one of the worst things we can do to a plant. Mulch should be 2 to 3-inches deep.

It is not recommended to fertilize at planting time. Research studies show most of a plant's energy is directed to root growth during the establishment period. The application of nitrogen during this period seems to suppress root growth rather than enhance it.

Yes. It's good practice to loosen the root ball in general, but not always necessary. If the plant is root bound like this, then you absolutely should break it up. It'll keep the plant's roots from spiraling.

Mostly, perennial roots do not reside in the planting hole for long, so the time that amendments would be effective is very short. Since amending can also harm some plants if done incorrectly, University of California does not recommend the practice, neither did Harris for trees, shrubs and vines.

Make sure to always keep landscape mulches a few inches away from the base of the tree or shrub. 9. Fertilize your newly transplanted shrub or tree is best done with a non-burning, organic fertilizer such as Milorganite. Apply about a cup of organic fertilizer per 1 inch of trunk diameter.

Prepare the site:

Dig a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the container. As you dig, pile the soil around the perimeter of the hole in at least two different areas. This makes it easier to backfill your shrub after planting.

An economical and effective method of fertilizing trees and shrubs is to broadcast a granular or pelletized fertilizer over the entire root zone area. Use a drop-type or cyclone spreader to distribute the recommended amount of nutrients evenly (Fig. 9). Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the label.