Caring for your new Tree and/or Shrubs!

Now that you have purchased your trees and shrubs there are a couple of steps to ensure the plants success. 

Planting

Dig a hole double the width and 1.5 times the depth of the pot. Put a layer of triple mix or good topsoil at the bottom of the hole to make sure that the top of the root ball is level with the grass. Once the root ball is level with the grass, rub Mykes on the root ball and sprinkle some in the hole. Pack in the rest of the soil around the sides of the root ball. Finally, put some soil on top of the root ball to protect the roots.

Watering

There is no specific amount of water or a schedule for watering as individual trees or plants are different. To see if you need to water take a piece of rebar and poke it into and around the root ball. If the rebar comes up dripping wet, then poke more holes around the root ball to aerate (help dry it out). If the rebar brings up dry light soil you need to water. The most efficient way to water is to take a hose and place it at the base of the tree or shrub. Turn on the water so that you only have a slow trickle and leave it running for 5-10 minutes depending on how large the plant is. If you have a large tree (50mm or up) leave it on for 15 minutes, moving it halfway through to the other side of the root ball. It is best to do this for the first year. Once the roots expand out then you will want to place the hose at the drip line of the plant (outer edge of the plant's canopy). Rain does not always saturate the root ball, make sure to check after a rain to see if you still need to water. 

If you forget to water and the leaves droop, water it and they perk back up. If the leaves turn dry and crunchy just brush the leaves off and it should leaf out again. 

Fertilizing

For deciduous trees and shrubs, it is best to use a 30-10-10 water-soluble or slow-release fertilizer. Fertilize from May long to the first week in August. Fruiting trees and fruiting shrubs it is best to use a 20-20-20 water-soluble in the spring to help encourage blooms. After one treatment stop fertilizing to help encourage fruit production. For evergreen trees, it is best to use 30-10-10 water-soluble or slow-release fertilizer. Fertilize from May long to July 15th.

Winter Protection

Once the ground starts to freeze and the plant(s) have dropped their leaves. We recommend putting about 3” of either mulch, peat moss, or dead leaves around the base of the plant. This helps to insulate the root of the plant from our cold winters. It is safe to remove the mulch, peat moss or dead leaves around May long.