Rants and Raves | Finegardener

Roots, roots, and more roots.

Removing a large tree is a common part of landscaping a yard and this includes the services of a stump grinding company. However, what most people do not realize is that this is only the first part of the job. The stump grinding usually only involves the base of the tree and not the roots. Many trees have extensive root systems that must also be removed before anything else can be installed. Take a look at these pics and you will see what I mean. See the yellow flags on the lower right of the 2nd pic? This entire area still needed to be dug up and the pile was at least as big as the one by the curb.

It is important to understand why there are so many roots of urban trees close to the surface. Some trees naturally have shallow roots, but many want to send their roots down deep into the soil. However, roots will go where the water is, and if you only water the top few inches of soil, then that is where the roots will be. Much better to water deeply and less often than the opposite approach which many homeowners take. Force your plants, even turf, to grow deeply and search for water and they will be resilient and better able to withstand drought. You will also save water by applying it this way.

For this level of expertise on your project, give me a call.

How to kill the most valuable component of your landscaping

Super easy methods even beginning gardeners can do!

I found this while visiting the National Arboretum (FANTASTIC PLACE AND FREE) in Washington, DC, and came across these easy instructions.

Now, there are times when removals are necessary, but that is something you should leave to professionals. Unfortunately, their ranks are decreasing every year.

The Single Most Worthless Landscape Product Money Can Buy

Anyone who has been to a nursery or home improvement store has seen the rolls of weed blocking fabric. Commercial supply houses sell an upgraded version of this stuff by the mile. Guess what? It doesn't work - never has and never will. I have pulled up hundreds (thousands?) of square yards of various type of "weed blocking" products and never once have I NOT seen weeds growing through it. What I have seen is over-saturated, greasy-feeling, lifeless soil below it. Do a search for this question: "Does weed blocking fabric work?" Or follow this link.

If this product is so bad, why do people sell and install it? Money (and lots of it) to be made from consumers who have not done their homework. If a gardener or contractor recommends this product, that is an excuse for a professional looking to make a quick buck. I've worked in both Summerwinds and Yamagami's and I will guarantee you that every employee knows this garbage doesn't work, but it make the owners a lot of money.

No matter what you do in your yard, you are going to get weeds. Accept this fact and deal with them either mechanically or chemically. Now, there are ways to greatly reduce the number of weeds that will grow in your yard, but that's a subject for another time.

The biggest reason to not use weed block fabric is because it doesn't work, especially the lightweight material sold at big box stores and nurseries.

Look at the first pic. This is the underside of very heavy weight material that was in contact with the soil.

The second pic below shows the root breaking through the fabric and happily growing.

Here is another reason why I do not like this product. Look closely at the following pics. Does the soil look healthy or lifeless? (Hint: Try the latter.). If you look really closely or enlarge the pics, you can see worm tracks. You may be thinking "so what", but it is actually critical for a couple of wonky reasons.

First of all, mulch has to actually touch soil in order decompose and provide organic matter and associated nutrients for your soil. The system doesn't work when landscape fabric is in the way. Worms then come to the surface, ingest the decomposed organic matter, and then both aerate the soil and create castings (that is a nice word for poop) which really enriches the soil.

If you are a happy little worm doing your thing, no way are you going to chew through fiberglass. No mulch decomposition and no worms = really lousy soil. Still think this fabric is such a great idea?

If you would like the same level of knowledge, creativity, and craftsmanship, then give me a call. I'd love to talk with you.

Roots vs. Shoots

Take a look at these two trees. One is an oak (check out the acorn) and the other I don't know.

Notice anything in particular about them? Look at the difference between how much of the tree is above ground and how much is below. Much more of the plant's total energy and biomass is devoted to roots instead of leaves and trunk when trees and shrubs are young.

Well, that was certainly an interesting factoid, but why should you care? If you wish to have happy trees and large shrubs, then you should probably care a great deal.

Trees always put their energy into developing a large root system long before lots of top growth appears. However, nurseries flip this script and sell you plants with a ridiculous amount of top growth relative the root system. There is no way the root systems of large container trees can support the above-ground growth without major inputs from you and a big reason why plants die after installation is this imbalance Here's what you can do to offset this problem and have healthy trees and shrubs in as short of time as possible.

Remember this rule:

1st year sleep.
2nd year creep.
3rd year leap.

(No, the plant isn't really sleeping, it is putting its energy into trying to develop the root system denied to it by the grower.)

Don't even think about about using high nitrogen fertilizers such as Miracle Grow. (Shame, shame, shame on you if you use that or similar garbage.) Nitrogen is for fast, above ground, growth and that is the last thing you need at this point. Much better to use an organic fertilizer, with little or even no nitrogen, that is designed to increase root growth. And don't waste you money on B1 as it has been shown, scientifically, to not work.

Learn how to correctly plant a tree - there are many resources online. And don't spend your money on soil additives unless you like fattening the bottom line of your local garden center. Many, many professional gardeners have stopped amending soil when planting trees. I haven't used amendments in years and I have almost no mortality. Mulch and correct planting techniques will do far more for you and your garden than expensive amendments.

Finally, buy the smallest tree you can accept. Were I to rule the horticultural world, I would decree that 5 gallons would be the biggest tree you could buy. Smaller sized trees and large shrubs often adapt and grow faster than bigger sizes. If you really want to start with a larger tree, well, OK, you are the client. However, you may not be getting as much as you expect.

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