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Message
please help me keep my new plants alive
Posted on 5/1/24 at 10:15 am
Posted on 5/1/24 at 10:15 am
yall, i'm at least competent at many things - woodworking, some automotive work, outdoorsman, basic handyman skills around the house, etc, but the one thing I have had just terrible luck with is landscaping. It seems like virtually every time I try to plant some new bushes, I kill them. I think it’s either overwatering or underwatering, but without knowing WHICH of those it is, I’m in no position to learn from mistakes. My wife really wanted some new landscaping this year, so I put some new plants in this past weekend. I come humbly before you all asking for best practice and tips for keeping this bushes not only alive – but maybe actually thriving?
I planted: gardenias, ligustrums, hydrangeas, and indian hawthorne. I followed the full sun / part sun recommendations on the little tags to the best of my ability. Yard is the standard Northshore type – multiple pine trees in the yard, so lots of pine needles, dirt is some sand but mostly clay. I dug huge holes for all the plants and put in garden soil around the root balls, so I’m hoping that will eliminate or at least help with potential drainage issues with the clay.
Now it’s a question of where do I go from here?
I planted: gardenias, ligustrums, hydrangeas, and indian hawthorne. I followed the full sun / part sun recommendations on the little tags to the best of my ability. Yard is the standard Northshore type – multiple pine trees in the yard, so lots of pine needles, dirt is some sand but mostly clay. I dug huge holes for all the plants and put in garden soil around the root balls, so I’m hoping that will eliminate or at least help with potential drainage issues with the clay.
Now it’s a question of where do I go from here?
7
Posted on 5/1/24 at 10:33 am to Sam Quint
I'm not an expert by any stretch but I do have a little experience with ligustrums and hydrangeas.
We have a lot of sunshine ligustrums planted outside at work. From what I can tell they need little maintenance. Ours get watered once a day by sprinkler for about 10 minutes. The vendor we use to care for the landscaping cuts them back in early spring. Not a dead-head cut back. Just trimmed more than usual. They come by monthly to trim and shape as needed.
I have personal experience with the hydrangeas. My wife and I both love these plants but find them a pain in the arse sometimes. Everyone we've ever bought was supposed to be full sunshine to part sunshine. I can tell you that they DO NOT like full sunshine. They will melt like an ice cream cone. Giving them plenty water helps but it's not enough to overcome a hot, sunny afternoon. We just pulled the two we planted in our new bed and moved them to pots under the covered entrance at the front door and they're doing much better. We have a hydrangea tree in the same bed that's doing ok for now with just plenty of water. However, we haven't reached the 90s yet.
We have a lot of sunshine ligustrums planted outside at work. From what I can tell they need little maintenance. Ours get watered once a day by sprinkler for about 10 minutes. The vendor we use to care for the landscaping cuts them back in early spring. Not a dead-head cut back. Just trimmed more than usual. They come by monthly to trim and shape as needed.
I have personal experience with the hydrangeas. My wife and I both love these plants but find them a pain in the arse sometimes. Everyone we've ever bought was supposed to be full sunshine to part sunshine. I can tell you that they DO NOT like full sunshine. They will melt like an ice cream cone. Giving them plenty water helps but it's not enough to overcome a hot, sunny afternoon. We just pulled the two we planted in our new bed and moved them to pots under the covered entrance at the front door and they're doing much better. We have a hydrangea tree in the same bed that's doing ok for now with just plenty of water. However, we haven't reached the 90s yet.
Posted on 5/1/24 at 10:35 am to Sam Quint
Water in the morning. Avoid watering at night.
In my experience I've killed more plants by not watering them enough, overwatering my snake plants was the only time I've overwatered anything. I can tell when my potted plants have had enough water when the soil starts to drain out from the bottom of the plastic pot and the top of the soil doesn't look like a pool. That still varies by plant, but the plants I have love water regularly.
Based on what I'm reading from the plants you added, you'll want to water regularly. Some issues plants might face are establishing a good root system. I'd say water every other day for now as temperatures are rising. Other plant experts may tell you otherwise. I've had pretty good luck so far with what I've done for my plants.
In my experience I've killed more plants by not watering them enough, overwatering my snake plants was the only time I've overwatered anything. I can tell when my potted plants have had enough water when the soil starts to drain out from the bottom of the plastic pot and the top of the soil doesn't look like a pool. That still varies by plant, but the plants I have love water regularly.
Based on what I'm reading from the plants you added, you'll want to water regularly. Some issues plants might face are establishing a good root system. I'd say water every other day for now as temperatures are rising. Other plant experts may tell you otherwise. I've had pretty good luck so far with what I've done for my plants.
Posted on 5/1/24 at 10:36 am to Sam Quint
Keep the root ball half in the ground and half out and build a mound (kind of) of top of the soil. Helps with excess water. Also make sure to fertilize well when planting and water deeply everyday(preferably in the morning)for 2 weeks(after planting)
This post was edited on 5/1/24 at 10:38 am
Posted on 5/1/24 at 10:48 am to Sam Quint
-Plant high never die
-Add mulch, it helps with dry plants and adds organic matter as it breaks down
-Use fertilizer but be gentle...you can always add more
-Build good, loose soil - there are tons of youtube videos that can help you
-Your County Extension is your friend, they have tons of articles and are usually the best resource if you have specific questions.
-Be tough, plants are gonna die. We know a lot about them but not everything
One other thing I'd recommend is to drive around town & look at other's landscapes. How are they planting their gardenias, ligustruks etc. Where are they succeeding? Where do they have dead spots? This often shows the difference between a "tolerable" site and an "optimal" site
-Add mulch, it helps with dry plants and adds organic matter as it breaks down
-Use fertilizer but be gentle...you can always add more
-Build good, loose soil - there are tons of youtube videos that can help you
-Your County Extension is your friend, they have tons of articles and are usually the best resource if you have specific questions.
-Be tough, plants are gonna die. We know a lot about them but not everything
One other thing I'd recommend is to drive around town & look at other's landscapes. How are they planting their gardenias, ligustruks etc. Where are they succeeding? Where do they have dead spots? This often shows the difference between a "tolerable" site and an "optimal" site
This post was edited on 5/1/24 at 10:49 am
Posted on 5/1/24 at 12:19 pm to Sam Quint
quote:
gardenias
good luck with these. I wish I could offer advice but I have managed to kill numerous gardenias despite multiple tries. Maybe my soil is too alkaline, idk. Anyways they can be really finnicky in my experience.
Posted on 5/1/24 at 12:44 pm to Sam Quint
Once established you should only water when soil is dry. This should not take too long and being in the ground will not stay dry as long somewhat normal rain occurs.
Osmocote is a good all around fertilizer. You’ll want to sprinkle under the surface of mulch.
Osmocote is a good all around fertilizer. You’ll want to sprinkle under the surface of mulch.
Posted on 5/1/24 at 12:51 pm to Sam Quint
May want to address the clay in the soil. You can break it up by adding peat moss and compost.
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