Sunday, April 19, 2009

How to I go about transplanting my trees and shrubs?

I recently used a sod cutter to clear a 60 foot by 4 foot area for a flower bed. 2 inches down I started seeing clay looking compacted soil (I live in north east Houston Texas). I purchased some blue point junipers, italian cypress, a golden arbo and some other junipers in the 2 foot variety that are yellow on top (sorry I don%26#039;t remember the names of those). The people at the store recommended garden mix. I don%26#039;t know how high to build up the area, and I don%26#039;t know if I should plant the trees and others before I do or not (it seems like I should.) What is the best soil for these and how should I go about the transplantation? Thanks in advance.

How to I go about transplanting my trees and shrubs?
Before planting anything, you will need to amend your soil. If you have time, consider getting your soil tested to see what nutrients it is lacking. A soil test will also tell you what kind of soil you have. (Send your soil tests to A%26amp;M. Here is the link: http://soiltesting.tamu.edu.)





If you are going organic (which is the ONLY way to go) the best thing to do is till in lots and lots of well-rotted compost. Compost can be purchased at your local home improvement store. Compost does a great job at improving nutrient levels, improving drainage, and providing %26quot;food%26quot; for your plants and trees.





Once you have your trees in the ground, give them a good soak and then mulch with a high-quality, natural mulch. I like to use premium hardwood mulches. I find that these break-down easily into the soil (as opposed to chemically treated mulches) and don%26#039;t wash away with big rains.





Here is another good link at Organic Gardening Magazine that explains %26quot;good soil%26quot; and how to get it: http://organicgardening.com/channel/1,,s...





Hope this helps!





If you ever need more gardening help, check out my garden blog at http://www.xylemandphloem.com.



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