SUMMER PLANTING GUIDE

Paul’s Garden Centre’s Guide to Successful Planting in the Summer!

Myth: Planting should only be done in the spring and fall.

Fact: Transplanting plants that are already established in the soil will likely cause them to die if moved in the heat of summer.

Fact: Plants that are in containers at garden centres and nurseries would do better if planted! A small, restricted pot is a very harsh environment for any plant. They truly will only start to thrive once they are in the ground where they belong!

Fact: Care should always be taken when planting and soil preparation should be done prior to removing plant from pot

Planting Instructions:

These easy steps must be followed to insure healthy growth of your trees and shrubs.

• Prepare hole twice as wide as container and a few inches deeper.

• Mix your original soil with a good quality soil such as triple mix (ratio should be roughly 50:50). When planting in clay soil, care must be taken to break-up clumps. Backfilling with clumpy soil will create air pockets therefore causing roots to dry out and die. One or two handfuls of bone-meal into your soil mixture will greatly help to improve root growth.

• Put some of your mixed soil in bottom of hole and pack it down a bit. Next place shrub or tree into the hole.   *Note: Container can be left on at this point as you judge the proper depth which should be only slightly higher (about ½”) than existing grade.

• Next remove container and return shrub into hole and backfill. Water as needed: moist roots grow, water-logged or dry roots die. Shade trees require two stakes for the first year.