Shrub & Tree Cultural Practices

Watering: Newly planted shrubs and trees should receive about 1” of water per week. You should water deciduous plants in deeply an average of 2 to 3 times per week during mid summer and once a week in spring and Autumn/early Fall. On the other hand if it rains every day or other day for a total of more than 1” or more per week then you should not have to water that week. Evergreens do not use as much water as deciduous plants so once a week is plenty if needed. Sometimes deciduous plants will wilt a little in extremely hot, dry temperatures during the day to conserve water, this is normal and will not harm the plant as long as it is watered properly. Watering should be monitored closely for the first year.

Maintenance: Tree stakes should be removed in one year, if they are not removed the trunk of the tree can be weakened or girdled as it grows. All evergreen and deciduous trees can be pruned anytime of the year. The best time to prune deciduous trees is when they are dormant (out of leaf and not growing, Fall/Winter/early Spring) because you can see the branch structure to make accurate cuts. Exceptions to this are trees that bleed out sap such as Maple, Birch, Beech, Sycamore and Ash, prune these trees after they leaf out. Shrubs that flower on current year’s growth should be pruned early spring before new growth or after flowering. Shrubs that flower on previous year’s growth should be pruned after flowering. If you are not sure the general rule of thumb is to prune after flowering. Dead wood can be pruned out at any time. Shearing can be done anytime during the growing season and avoided in late fall which can cause desiccation and winterkill of branches and needles. Broadleaf evergreen shrubs benefit with an application of Wilt-Pruf Anti-desiccant (prevents leaves from drying out in winter winds) in fall as long as the temperature is above 40 degrees

Fertilizer: I use organic fertilizer Pro-Grow 5-3-4(blue bag) found at local garden centers and nurseries. I apply it liberally in early spring and fall. Another great amendment for shrubs and trees is compost. I use it a lot when I transplant but you can also spread it around existing plants, a 1-2” layer each spring is a good amount.

Mulch: I use a softwood bark mulch like pine, hemlock, or spruce around trees and shrubs because it decomposes giving the plants valuable organic matter. I do not apply more than a 2-3” layer of mulch around trees and shrubs and I make sure not to bury the trunks and stems of tree and shrubs. Mulch “volcanoes” that you see heaped around trees are perfect homes for fungal diseases, insects and small rodents like voles that can girdle and kill your trees and shrubs so I strongly oppose this. It also can cause surface roots to grow in the mulch leaving them vulnerable to drought conditions and disruption.

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