If you live in Bellingham, and the surrounding areas, you may be interested in learning more about the various plants that are used in landscaping features here. Many homeowners and business owners across Whatcom county use a variety of shrubs to accent their homes. If you are interested in improving your home landscaping features by adding accent shrubs, privacy shrubs and more, this article can help you through the process of how to care for shrubs in Whatcom County.
Choosing the ideal spot to plant:
Most shrubs are well suited in full sun conditions with soil that is going to drain well through your property. Choose a point along the perimeter of your yard or along a slope where it can get proper drainage.
The best types of soil:
Moist and well drained soil is one of the best places that you can plant a shrub. When planting a shrub in Whatcom County, you should consider mixing in some compost and choosing a place where the water can properly drain away from where the plant takes root. When a shrub gets saturated it can sometimes wilt or lead to rapid decline and death.
Watering through spring to fall:
Water any shrub quite deeply so that you can encourage new root structure growth. Making sure to soak the bottom of the shrub can ensure that the root system will grow stronger. As the water drains off this can help to make sure the shrub is not saturated. Please note: Hot summer days may require you to water your shrubs a little extra watering less often and longer is the way to go.
How to care for your shrub in winter:
In order to protect some of the less hardy of shrubs over the winter, you may want to consider the idea of using a wrap for your shrub. Getting a burlap wrap or covering your shrubs over the winter can help prevent root damage and ensure that they can be ready to thrive in the spring.
If you would like to learn more about caring for shrubs in Whatcom County, please feel free to visit our garden center for a wide range of tips and tricks as well as recommendations for the best varieties to grow in this area.
How to Plant Trees and Shrubs
- Water all the plants to be planted while still in containers. Do not remove from the container at this time.
- Dig a planting hole. Dig a hole twice as wide and 1 1/2 times as deep as the container.
- Amend the soil removed from the planting hole with generous amounts of compost.
- Place some of your amended soil mixture back into the planting hole.
- Now carefully remove the plant from the container. Place the plant into the planting hole. Make sure the top of the root ball stays at ground level.
- Carefully backfill your amended soil into the planting hole around the root ball of your newly planted tree or shrub making sure the top of the root ball stays at ground level.
- Build a small berm with the remaining soil. This will hold water when you “water in” your plant.
- Slowly add water at the base of your plant filling the berm with water. Ensure soil is saturated.
- Mix “Liquinox Start Vitamin B-1” with water in bucket or watering can per label instructions. Use this mixture to do your final “watering in.” This will do 2 things.
- Reduce transplant shock
- Promote root growth
The two most important things to keep in mind when transplanting:
- Plant at the proper depth. NEVER bury the trunk with soil or mulch. When using bark or mulch,
keep it 3-6″ away from the base of the plant. - Maintain an even deep level of moisture.