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A tip that is easy and very rewarding! |
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I am lucky to live in the lowcountry, where live oaks dot the landscape with their beauty, grace, shade and leaves, yes leaves. During the Late Winter and Early Spring when live oaks shed there leaves, my kind neighbors around the neighborhood labor away raking and bagging the leaves to be placed on the roadside and taken to the local landfill. Well, the night before debris pick up is due, I make the rounds and pick up as many of these tidy, conveniently stacked bags as possible to spread throughout my gardens and flower beds. The small leaves make a great mulch to help retain moisture during the hot summer months, discourage weeds and tend to decompose in about a year to provide rich topsoil. Not only does the simple (free) practice make for beautiful gardens, but helps to reduce the burden on the local landfill Matt Wilks |
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I have a friend who put banana peels in the soil around a magnolia tree that was not doing well. It is now doing much better and putting on blooms for the first time. David W. Bollinger |
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We had to cut down a beautiful red maple tree that had died. The trunk was cut to ground level but the root structure in some places was either just below ground level or in plain sight. We could not plant anything in that area. We bought some rounded bricks, built a wall around the whole root area, only being maybe two feet high. We filled it with earth, and planted beautiful plants. It covers the whole root area. It's now a raised garden and I love it. Ruth Goller |
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Planting Trees and Shrubs |
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When I plant shrubs or trees, I take an empty 12 or 16 ounce plastic soft drink or juice bottle and cut off the bottom. I then plant the bottle upside down beside the plant with the open mouth side down. If the bush or tree is very large or requires a lot of water, you can plant one on each side of the plant. The idea is similar to the small watering devices Park Seed & Wayside Gardens offer. But this is a much larger delivery system to help new larger plants that have a higher demand for water. It also puts the water really where you want it; down to the roots. Everyone is conserving water these days and this prevents a lot of water runoff when you are trying to "Deep Water" a plant. The bottle should be removed in the Fall/Winter to prevent the roots from freezing due to the excess water so close to the roots. If a dry second year is anticipated, another bottle can be planted again in the spring. Water soluble fertilizer can also be added to the bottle. In this way, it will reach the deeper roots. Use a smaller than recommended dosage to keep from burning the roots. Mary Ann Reeley |
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Shrubs & Trees 
