Care of Ornamental Plants in the Landscape !
The information provided here is from The Scotts Company web site.
Most established ornamental plants in the landscape require care to stay healthy and attractive. Regular fertilization, pruning, watering, mulching and pest control are all part of a good landscape management program.
Some plants, such as annual flowers, roses, red-tip photinia and English laurel, are more demanding than others. Annual flowers and roses must be kept well-supplied with nutrients and water at all times, pruned and groomed routinely, and monitored regularly for pests if they are to flower abundantly. Red-tip photinia and English laurel are very susceptible to leaf spot diseases and demand more care.
On the other hand, plants such as ornamental grasses, hollies and junipers, when properly planted on a good site, require little care once established and are considered good low-maintenance plants.
Caring for ornamental plants is more difficult when they are not well-suited to the site selected or when they are improperly planted. Azaleas, for instance, prefer a moist, well-drained soil and shade from the mid-afternoon sun. When planted in poorly drained soil or in full sun without the benefit of irrigation, azaleas become stressed, susceptible to attack from insects and diseases, and require more care. Planting too deeply or too shallowly also causes plant problems.
Today, the concept of low-maintenance landscapes is more popular than ever before. The idea of putting less effort into the landscape without sacrificing quality and beauty is very appealing to a growing number of homeowners and clients of landscape professionals. By applying lower amounts of fertilizer, water and pesticides to the landscape, you not only help the environment but also save time and money. New concepts in low-maintenance landscaping, such as Xeriscaping (water-efficient landscaping) and integrated pest management (control of pests through the selective use of insecticides and encouragement of natural enemies), are proving that it is possible to have a beautiful landscape while saving time, effort and money.
This publication provides guidelines for the care of established ornamental plants in the landscape. Low-maintenance alternatives to traditional cultural practices are discussed throughout the publication.
Start by identifying areas of the landscape that require different amounts of care. A recently planted area, for instance, will generally require more attention than a well-established area. The highly visible public area of the landscape is usually an are where optimum growth is desired at all times, while a secluded, private area requires less maintenance. Once this “zoning” is done and the different levels of plant care are established, landscape maintenance becomes much more efficient and effective.
Fertilization
Fertilization is an important part of landscape maintenance, particularly in urban areas where much of the native topsoil is removed during development and subsoil deficient in essential nutrients becomes the new topsoil.
Unfortunately, fertilization is a rather simple cultural practice made complex and confusing by the wide variety of fertilizer products on the market today — from “general-purpose” garden fertilizer to specialty products, such as pre-mixed liquid fertilizer concentrates, water-soluble crystals, slow-release fertilizers, azalea/camellia fertilizers and rose specials. Plants generally do not care whether a fertilizer is granulated, liquified, encapsulated, briquetted, pelletized or solubilized! They simply want nutrients in any form they can use.
Fertilizers, however, differ in nutrient content and release duration. The type of fertilizer you select should be based not only on its cost but also on the types of plants being fertilized, the existing nutrient content of the soil, and the type of growth response desired. Liquid or water-soluble fertilizers, for instance, are often used on annuals and herbaceous perennials immediately after transplanting because their nutrients can be absorbed quickly and used by the plant. Woody ornamentals, on the other hand, store food reserves in their roots and do not have an immediate demand for nutrients after transplanting as short-season annuals do. They benefit from slow-release fertilizers that ensure a supply of nutrients as needed.
To determine whether a granular fertilizer has slow-release properties, look at the analysis on the back of the bag. Nitrogen listed in the form of ammoniacal nitrogen indicates that the product has some slow-release property. If the nitrogen is listed as being derived from urea, urea-formaldehyde, IBDU (isobutylenediurea), or sulfur-coated urea, the release duration of the product will be increased. Some granular slow-release fertilizers last six to eight months after application.
Other commonly available slow-release fertilizers on the market include Osmocote granules, Osmocote tablets, Jobe’s Spikes, Once, Woodace briquettes, Agriform tablets and Milorganite. These fertilizers generally cost more per pound than general-purpose granular fertilizers such as 10-10-10 or 12-4-8, but they also last longer and don’t need to be applied as frequently.
Most established ornamental plants in the landscape require care to stay healthy and attractive. Regular fertilization, pruning, watering, mulching and pest control are all part of a good landscape management program.
Some plants, such as annual flowers, roses, red-tip photinia and English laurel, are more demanding than others. Annual flowers and roses must be kept well-supplied with nutrients and water at all times, pruned and groomed routinely, and monitored regularly for pests if they are to flower abundantly. Red-tip photinia and English laurel are very susceptible to leaf spot diseases and demand more care.
On the other hand, plants such as ornamental grasses, hollies and junipers, when properly planted on a good site, require little care once established and are considered good low-maintenance plants.
Caring for ornamental plants is more difficult when they are not well-suited to the site selected or when they are improperly planted. Azaleas, for instance, prefer a moist, well-drained soil and shade from the mid-afternoon sun. When planted in poorly drained soil or in full sun without the benefit of irrigation, azaleas become stressed, susceptible to attack from insects and diseases, and require more care. Planting too deeply or too shallowly also causes plant problems.
Today, the concept of low-maintenance landscapes is more popular than ever before. The idea of putting less effort into the landscape without sacrificing quality and beauty is very appealing to a growing number of homeowners and clients of landscape professionals. By applying lower amounts of fertilizer, water and pesticides to the landscape, you not only help the environment but also save time and money. New concepts in low-maintenance landscaping, such as Xeriscaping (water-efficient landscaping) and integrated pest management (control of pests through the selective use of insecticides and encouragement of natural enemies), are proving that it is possible to have a beautiful landscape while saving time, effort and money.
This publication provides guidelines for the care of established ornamental plants in the landscape. Low-maintenance alternatives to traditional cultural practices are discussed throughout the publication.
Start by identifying areas of the landscape that require different amounts of care. A recently planted area, for instance, will generally require more attention than a well-established area. The highly visible public area of the landscape is usually an are where optimum growth is desired at all times, while a secluded, private area requires less maintenance. Once this “zoning” is done and the different levels of plant care are established, landscape maintenance becomes much more efficient and effective.
Fertilization
Fertilization is an important part of landscape maintenance, particularly in urban areas where much of the native topsoil is removed during development and subsoil deficient in essential nutrients becomes the new topsoil.
Unfortunately, fertilization is a rather simple cultural practice made complex and confusing by the wide variety of fertilizer products on the market today — from “general-purpose” garden fertilizer to specialty products, such as pre-mixed liquid fertilizer concentrates, water-soluble crystals, slow-release fertilizers, azalea/camellia fertilizers and rose specials. Plants generally do not care whether a fertilizer is granulated, liquified, encapsulated, briquetted, pelletized or solubilized! They simply want nutrients in any form they can use.
Fertilizers, however, differ in nutrient content and release duration. The type of fertilizer you select should be based not only on its cost but also on the types of plants being fertilized, the existing nutrient content of the soil, and the type of growth response desired. Liquid or water-soluble fertilizers, for instance, are often used on annuals and herbaceous perennials immediately after transplanting because their nutrients can be absorbed quickly and used by the plant. Woody ornamentals, on the other hand, store food reserves in their roots and do not have an immediate demand for nutrients after transplanting as short-season annuals do. They benefit from slow-release fertilizers that ensure a supply of nutrients as needed.
To determine whether a granular fertilizer has slow-release properties, look at the analysis on the back of the bag. Nitrogen listed in the form of ammoniacal nitrogen indicates that the product has some slow-release property. If the nitrogen is listed as being derived from urea, urea-formaldehyde, IBDU (isobutylenediurea), or sulfur-coated urea, the release duration of the product will be increased. Some granular slow-release fertilizers last six to eight months after application.
Other commonly available slow-release fertilizers on the market include Osmocote granules, Osmocote tablets, Jobe’s Spikes, Once, Woodace briquettes, Agriform tablets and Milorganite. These fertilizers generally cost more per pound than general-purpose granular fertilizers such as 10-10-10 or 12-4-8, but they also last longer and don’t need to be applied as frequently.
