Plant installation and care

Whether you want to take on the task of landscaping your own yard, or just want to add a few perennials to your yard, this section will show you how we plant all of our material.  This simple process will grow plant material three times faster than anyone else in Nevada.

1) Always use quality plant material.  Plants should come from nurseries, not big box stores.  They will provide the best selection, as well as properly watered plants.  The plant should be free of disease and insects.  If the plant is small enough for you to check, take it out of the pot and look at the root system.  It should have roots showing along the edge of the pot, but not have circling roots. 

2) Select an appropriate plant for the area.  Read the plant label.  If it says 6 feet high and wide, it shouldn't go two feet from the sidewalk.  Also check light and water requirements.  This will make maintenance a lot easier when you don't have to prune every few weeks to keep that unruly shrub under control.

3) Dig a wide hole, not deep.  Roots grow out not down.  Your planting hole should be 3-5 times the width of the rootball and no deeper than the rootball.  This is an important step, because the planting hole will affect the plant the rest of its life.  Small holes in hard soil will restrict root growth.  Too deep of a hole and the plant will die from a rotten trunk.

4) Amend the soil.  We recommend Soil Essence Elite from Full Circle Compost.  It has what Nevada soil is missing. 

5) Plant it high.  If you are planting a containerized plant (5 gallon shrub), place the shrub so that the rootball is approximately 1 1/2" to 2" above the soil level.  If you are planting a B&B tree, you will need to scrape the soil off of the rootball until you find the trunk flare.  Not doing this step will cause you to plant to deep, have stunted growth, and a shorter life span on the tree.

6) MULCH!  Spread approximately two inches of organic mulch around the plant.  Two inches will now have your plant at grade with the mulch, and your plant is not planted to deep.  Mulch helps regulate soil temperature and suppress weeds.  Try Fertile Mulch from Full Circle Compost. 

7) Water it.  You will need to water more often when the plant is new, because it has not rooted out into the soil.  The basic rule for an average garden is to water when the top 1 - 1 1/2" of soil is dry.  This time frame will change for every yard, time of year, mulch or no mulch, soil type and location in the yard.

8) Fertilize.  This should be done four times per year using an organic based fertilizer.  Organic fertilizers contain beneficial bacteria and fertilize the soil as well, not just the plant.

9) Check on it.  Enjoy your accomplishment and watch it grow.  Plus a periodic inspection of your landscape will reveal small problems before they are major, like clogged emitters, or a infestation of aphids.