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Here are some helpful resources on planting and caring for your newly planted trees, shrubs, perennials and turf grass.
PLANTING TREES & SHRUBS
PLANTING TREES & SHRUBS
The most important thing to know about proper planting is planting depth and soil amendments. A plant planted too deep will not get enough oxygen to its roots and poor soil will make it hard for you plant to get the water and nutrients it needs and to establish it's new root system. Giving your new plants the proper fertilizer and water during their first few years is also crucial to their establishment.
UNDERGROUND UTILITIES MARKING
UNDERGROUND UTILITIES MARKING
Please check for utilities before planting a tree!! This is for your own safety. These services are free.
Excel Energy
800-895-4999
Utility Notification Center of CO
800-922-1987
Call Before You Dig Hotline
Dial 811
SOIL AMENDMENTS
SOIL AMENDMENTS
The quality of the soil can greatly affect how well your new plants grows and gets established. A soil must have the right balance of components to get good drainage, enough oxygen to the roots, and nutrients for growth. You can test your soil yourself with an at-home kit (available at your local garden center) to determine the quality and pH of your soil. You can also send off a sample of your soil for lab testing to get a more in-depth analysis. This is sometimes beneficial for vegetable garden beds where you are planting heavy feeders and want maximum results or for problem areas where "nothing grows". Contact your local county extension office to get your soil analized (see links below).
A lot of Denver-metro gardeners have a lot of clay in their soil, which is a very fine-grained particle that makes the soil pasty when wet and hard as a rock when dry. This makes it difficult for new roots to grow, limits oxygen availabilty, and limits some nutrients for your plants. Unless you are planting native plants, we always recommend adding compost when you backfill your planting hole, mixing it in 1/3 compost to 2/3 native soil.
Adding a layer of compost around your plants at on your turf grass once a year will add essential nutrients to the root system that may allow you to skip adding chemical fertilizers during the growing season. The exception would be heavy feeders, such as vegetables and fruit trees, which will need supplementation. This will also re-introduce some beneficial microbes to the soil, helping your plants fight disease.
It is also important to add 3-4 inches of natural, non-colored, wood mulch around your plants and trees in order to retain soil moisture and add back nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. This will also reduce water evaporation and conserve water. Keep mulch away from direct contact with tree trunks and plant stems.
PLANT CARE & MAINTENANCE
PLANT CARE & MAINTENANCE
Now that you've put your plants in the ground, there are certain things you should know about caring for your plants to keep them healthy and looking good. Here are some instructions for maintaining your plants, including watering, fertilizing, and pruning.
PESTS & DISEASES
PESTS & DISEASES
Keeping your plants healthy is the best way to prevent issues with pests and diseases. However, especially in our crazy Colorado weather, you can't always avoid problems. Here are a few resources to help you diagnose and treat common pest and disease problems.
Keep in mind - some insects are beneficial to your outdoor space and should left alone. This not only includes ladybugs and praying mantis, which eat aphids on your roses; but also ants, bees, wasps, lacewings, spiders, and flies. Many of these are also important pollinators that allow your vegetables plants and fruit trees to grow fruit.
Beneficials in the Home Garden
Also, some problems with your plants may just be due to nutrient deficiency (not getting the "food" they need). It may not be due to pests or disease. This is especially common with red maples, which have difficulty getting enough iron from our clay-rich soil.
Plant diseases can be show up in a variety of ways. You could be noticing discolored or shriveled leaves, black/ brown spots, or powdery coatings on the leaves. A few issues are common and fairly easy to correct (see the link below).
If you have a widespread problem or you are not sure what the issue is, it is best to consult a professional in order to get an accurate diagnosis on the problem and the appropriate solution. These are difficult to diagnose if you don't have experience, and you don't want to try multiple chemicals before finding the right one. Contact your local nursery or your local county's extension office. They have master gardeners available to answer your questions and you can schedule a home consultation for a small fee.
Arapahoe County Extension Office
Douglas County Extension Office
Denver County Extension Office
Jefferson County Extension Office
Also, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides should be used sparingly always following the manufacturer's directions to avoid leaching excess into municipal water systems or inadvertant exposures to beneficial insects.
TURF GRASS
TURF GRASS
Does your lawn look a bit thread-bare and gets a lot of weeds? This can be due to several factors, such as soil compaction, disease or improper nutrients. Regular aeration of your soil, especially with our clay soil, allows more oxygen to the grass roots and loosens the soil. Adding a layer of compost will add important nutrients to feed the grass and grow longer roots. Here are some resources for getting your lawn more healthy and green. If your lawn is thread-bare, you should consider overseeding with a blend of grass seed that thrives in Colorado. If you think you have issues with fungus or disease (e.g. white, powdery coating on the grass, rapidly dying circular patches), it's best to contact your local nursery to get a diagnosis and a treatment method.
Are you thinking of replacing your lawn with something that uses less water and is easier to maintain? Check out these articles on alternative turf grass ideas.
Benefits of a Clover Lawn and How to Grow One
Looking to add a new area of turf grass or just want to start over? The fastest way to get results is the lay down sod, which is a roll of soil with grass already growing in it. The advantage to this is a more uniform look and an established turf grass right away. However, this alternative is more expensive than grass seed.
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