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Appalachian Creations, Inc.
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P.O. Box 86 Northampton PA 18067
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The New Landscape

March 13, 2017 By Jenn Stumer Leave a Comment


The New Landscape –
By

Jenn Stumer
– Appalachian Creations, Inc.

If you have ever started from scratch with a landscape you know how tempting it is to fill in the beds with lots of plants.  So many plants look interesting when touring the garden centers that it’s tempting to fit them into the landscape.  Just as with so many other things, landscaping with plants ends up becoming a trial and error process.  What works for one area might not work for another.  A plant doing great for a neighbor down the road might die where you put it.  Who knows why plants flourish for some and die in one week for others?  Why does one plant out of a group of 3 or 5 not perform as well as the others?  Sometimes there just isn’t an explanation.  Sometimes plants just die.

Don’t give in to the temptation to plant as much as will fit.  If you want your landscape to last for 15-20 years, you will have small plants to start and spaces left in between.  Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

¨ Shrubs and trees will grow – some quicker than others

¨ Perennials will spread

¨ Grasses will multiply

¨ Trees and shrubs planted too close will grow into each other (or into your house)

Pay attention to plant maturity sizes either by reading the plant tags or doing your own research.  Try to envision how the plants will look when they have reached their mature size.  Keep spaces open for them to grow into instead of planting them closer together for instant, maximum impact.  As the landscape matures, most of the plants will spread and grow into the space left open for them.  (Or into the plants next to and around them if they are too close together.)  An overloaded landscape will only last a few years before more maintenance is required.  The plants will need to be sheared or trimmed to maintain a smaller size or you will find yourself removing some of them to make room.  Plant bulbs or annuals in the meantime to help fill the void until the installed plants begin reaching their potential.

Nobody wants an overgrown landscape just a few years after planting.  Your landscape should last for a minimum of 15 years before you need to think about removing and replacing plants.  A carefully maintained landscape will last longer.

Pruning shrubs and trees becomes a little more important as they grow larger with maturity.  You will get more longevity out of your landscape with some regular trimming.  We recommend pruning a minimum of once annually after the first 2 years.

Some evergreens are perhaps the hardest to keep manageable.  If let go without trimming, the foliage can become too great to cut back aggressively without exposing bare branches and causing unsightly or irreparable damage.

Deciduous plants can be a bit easier to maintain regularly by size.  Most of the time with a deciduous plant, you can maintain an overgrowth in size by cutting it down significantly during its dormant season (late October through February.)  Otherwise, once annually pruning will be sufficient.

Finally, a note about “No Maintenance.”  There simply is no such thing.  Landscapes can be designed for low maintenance but the no maintenance is impossible.  All plants want some kind of attention at some time or another.  Whether it’s just fertilizer or a healthy pruning or a hefty cutting back in the fall.  Bed edges will only last for a season or two before the grass begins to encroach into the bed or there is no definition left between the bed and the grass.  Yes, you can make a landscape lower maintenance but you cannot make it no maintenance.

Filed Under: Articles, Autumn, Landscape, Landscape Refurbish, Spring, Summer, Trees, Uncategorized, Winter Tagged With: annuals, bulbs, landscape design, landscape refurbish, maintenance, New Landscape, perennials, pruning, shrubs, trimming

Be Kind to Your Trees

August 17, 2016 By Jenn Stumer Leave a Comment

Be Kind to Your Trees – By Jenn Stumer – Appalachian Creations Inc.

 It may not be easy to hear, but sometimes your best intentions can actually be harmful to your trees.  Most of the time, you probably won’t even know if a tree is in trouble or not.  Short-term damage is obvious, but long-term damage usually isn’t.  And if you don’t know what to look for or how to choose placement, you won’t be able to stop it before it’s too late.  So let’s learn how to be kind to your trees.  Here are some common ways that trees can be harmed – on purpose:

Staking  – This practice seems to come naturally to even the beginning tree planter.  Staking can be beneficial when done properly.  But it can also be destructive when overdone or not done properly.  It’s important to know that most tree species do not need staking and if they do, most of the time only minimal support is needed for a short time.  This is the key – if you must stake, be sure to check on the tension periodically to avoid bark damage and remove the staking material when the tree is established (usually within one year).  Keep in mind that staking can also cause abnormal trunk growth and girdling and could cause a tree to become top heavy.

Mulching – I am a big fan of mulch rings for trees.  It not only looks nice, but it protects the roots and helps hold moisture.  It also keeps mowers and trimmers at a safe distance from damaging the bark.  But be mindful of the amount of mulch you place at the base of the tree trunk.  Applying too much (more than 4”) can hinder root and bark function.  One technique is to create a “moat” around the base of the trunk leaving a trench a few inches deep.

Girdling – This is the process of intentionally (or unintentionally) removing or damaging the bark encircling the tree.  Lumber companies will intentionally girdle a tree so that it dies and is then cut down for lumber.  Examples of unintentional girdling are dog chains looped around the base of a tree, wires for clotheslines, unchecked staking material, and rope (especially nylon).  Dog chains rub and saw through the bark from constant movement around the tree.  The other materials do not expand along with the tree as it grows and eventually they girdle it.  This pressure from the girdling cuts off food and water movement that seriously weakens and could potentially kill the tree.   In some instances, the trunk swells, grows over the material and heals back so that it looks like it has survived.  However, the damage is done and the trunk is forever weakened at that point.

Power lines – Usually there is a zoning issue when it comes to planting anything under a power line.  Don’t take any chances.  Eventually the tree will no longer be a sapling and your local power company will have no sympathy when they send their crews to saw off the top of your tree to keep it away from their wires.

Know the tree’s needs – If you are going to plant a tree, be sure to know its space and growth requirements.  Some trees can suffer from too much shade or too-wet conditions and vice-versa.  It’s also good to know how tall and wide a tree is meant to grow at its full potential.  Always avoid planting trees that will outgrow the space provided.  Poor tree placement can become a real issue 5 or 10 years down the road.  There exists the possibility of damage to building foundations, water and utility lines, and walkways or patios not to mention over-crowding your other ornamental trees or shrubs.  Maintenance and/or removal can become costly and time-consuming.  Consult your landscaper or garden center if you are not sure of a certain tree’s requirements.  It’s very tempting to put those beautiful evergreen trees at the corner of your house not knowing that in 10 years, you won’t even be able to see your house.

Be kind – and plant trees where they belong so they can grow to their full potential and perform as they were meant to.

Filed Under: Articles, Autumn, Landscape, Spring, Trees Tagged With: landscape, mulching, trees

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