Common Landscape Mistakes

Harnett County Center

Plant Talk

by Paul G. McKenzie From the Daily Record, Dunn, NC

CAUTION:The information and recommendations in this article are applicable to Harnett County, NC and may not apply in other areas.

5 COMMON LANDSCAPE MISTAKES, 10/10/97

Have you been struggling for years to keep up with the Jones's? Do you dread yardwork like an audit by the IRS? If so, then you may be making one of these five common mistakes.

PLANTING TECHNIQUES

Many people have told me they have "the worst soil." Actually, plants can be grown in almost any soil, from pure sand to pure clay.

The key is soil preparation. In most cases, this is simply a matter of breaking up the soil so the roots can grow freely, and adding the lime and nutrients recommended in your soil test report.

Planting depth is important too. Trees and shrubs should be planted at the same depth as they are planted in the container they come in. For bulbs and flower seeds, carefully follow the instructions on the package.

FERTILIZATION

When do you apply fertilizer? If your answer is "Whenever my neighbor does it," then that may be part of the problem. Specific plants should be fertilized based on their specific needs.

Most trees and shrubs, for example, should be fertilized in the early spring, just as they are breaking dormancy. If you fertilized your azaleas and dogwoods now, they would put out new growth which could be injured at our first frost.

Also, too much or too little fertilizer can be harmful. If your fescue needs 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet, that means it's time to pull out the tape measure.

PLANT SELECTION

Okay, time to confess. Thumbing through the garden catalog, you see an exotic looking plant. Do you consult the USDA Hardiness Zone Map to see if the plant is actually adapted to North Carolina? Or do you go straight for the phone, dial the toll- free number and order it without a second thought?

For the record, we live in zone 7, a designation which is based on our average annual minimum temperatures. For best success, choose plants that are adapted to our environment.

PLANT LOCATION

Closely related to plant selection is plant location. That spot in your front yard may be in full shade when you leave for work every morning, but what about the rest of the day?

Try to become familiar with the many different conditions in your yard. You may have one spot where the soil is always wet, and another that's always dry. Save money and headaches by selecting a plant that is adapted to the location.

Also be sure to check the full grown size of the plant? It's very tempting to plant those small shrubs close together to fill in that bare spot. But in 2 or 3 years you may regret it.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

How many of you have heard of Red Tip Photinias, Leyland Cypress, and Bradford Pears? Everyone, right? Well, these are all lovely plants, but why not try something new?

How about Prunus mume, the flowering apricot? You'll be the envy of the neighborhood in January or February when you have the only flowering tree on the block! Or the Kousa dogwood, which has all of the positive attributes and few of the problems that beset our native dogwoods. The possibilities are endless.

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