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Year-round Landscape Maintenance Activities

Year-round Landscape Maintenance Activities. Rick Durham Department of Horticulture University of Kentucky. Topics:. Fall Install woody plants Mulch Fertiliz e Divide/transplant perennials Cleanup Winter Cold protection. Spring Prune woody plants Divide/transplant perennials

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Year-round Landscape Maintenance Activities

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  1. Year-round Landscape Maintenance Activities Rick Durham Department of Horticulture University of Kentucky

  2. Topics: • Fall • Install woody plants • Mulch • Fertilize • Divide/transplant perennials • Cleanup • Winter • Cold protection • Spring • Prune woody plants • Divide/transplant perennials • Install annuals • Fertilize annuals/perennials • Summer • Water • Fertilize annuals • Pest issues

  3. Spring Pruning

  4. Why prune? • Thin dense growth • Encourage abundant flowering • Direct growth • Remove damaged or hazardous growth

  5. When to prune? • The rule of June 1 • If plant flowers before June 1, prune after flowering • If plant flowers after June 1, prune late winter or early spring • Shade trees, generally prune in early spring

  6. After flowering: Redbud, dogwood, magnolias, crabapples, pears, plums, deutzia, forsythia, hollies, honeysuckles, azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs, viburnums, others Late winter, early spring: Butterfly bush, most clematis, hydrangeas, beautybush, glossy abelia, crape myrtle, roses Shade trees: Some bleed excessively when spring pruned, prune in full leaf (June). Birch, elm, pine, spruce, fir, maple When to prune?

  7. Tools

  8. Pruning examples

  9. Natural vs. sculpted?

  10. Proper plant selection

  11. Topping? Never!!!!

  12. Bottoming?

  13. Branch angles

  14. Why the problem?

  15. Proper cuts • Cut flush with the bark collar • Use three-point method for larger branches • Paint or sealant is generally not needed

  16. Too close About right

  17. Don’t leave stubs Undesired Desired

  18. Removing unwanted growth

  19. Careful!

  20. Shrubs

  21. Proper shearing

  22. Thinning out

  23. Heading Back

  24. SpringDivide and Transplant Perennials

  25. When to divide? • Flowers in late summer/fall – divide in spring (aster, hosta, sedum) • Flowers in spring/early summer – divide in fall (daylily, paeonia, most bulbs) • Overcrowding - reduced vigor - reduced flowering • Dividing/separating – restores vigor

  26. Division and Separation • Division • Cutting apart a plant with multiple crowns or cutting through the rhizome • Dust cut surfaces with fungicide or allow to cure before replanting • Separation • Pulling apart plants with multiple growing points • Treat wounded surfaces or allow to cure before transplanting

  27. Spring - Fertilizing Annuals and Perennials Perennials • 2-3 lbs./1000 sq.ft. 5-10-10, two spring applications • Avoid late summer and fall applications Bulbs: • Fertilizer at planting (3-4 lbs. 5-20-20 per 1000 sq. ft) • Additional nitrogen as foliage emerges in spring Annuals: • Fertilization, 1-2 lbs. complete fertilizer at planting • ½ to 1 pound every six weeks later

  28. Summer Activities • Water – 1 inch per week • Fertilize annuals • Deadhead annuals • Pest management

  29. FallInstalling Woody Plants

  30. Installation in compacted soils • Plant high • Excavate wide, shallow hole (1/2 depth of root ball) • Back fill with existing soil and mound to top of root ball • Apply 3 inches of mulch • Staking optional depending on plant material

  31. Installation using a berm or bed • Good for wet sites or localized remediation of compacted sites • Fill soil is amended • Bed/berm need not be tall, 8-12 inches. • Mulch • Bed/berms near existing trees will impact roots (fill)

  32. Long-term Maintenance • Mulch – types and amounts • Ideal to extend the mulch area as plant grows • Limit mulch to 2-3 inch depth, replenish as needed • No mulch near root flare • Hardwood mulches decompose quickly • “Barky” mulches decompose more slowly, coarse bark more slowly than fine bark. • Cedar mulch – occasional reports of plant toxicity

  33. Long-term Maintenance • Water • Most established woody plants can tolerate mild to severe drought • Ideal for most plants is ~1 inch water per week • In times of drought, best to supplement: • Younger trees • Densely planted trees/shrubs • Trees/shrubs on shallow soils • Apply to broad area under and near tree canopy, active roots are generally in the top 1-2 feet of soil.

  34. Long-term Maintenance Fertilization • Soil test • Timing • Type • Amount

  35. Soil testing • Sample any time • Take 8-10 samples scattered around front and back yard • Adjust pH as needed • Apply all nutrients except nitrogen according to test recommendations • Apply nitrogen based on management expectations

  36. Timing - Nitrogen • Woody + Turf (cool season grasses) • Mid Fall application after woody plants are dormant • Too early – may get renewed growth • Too late – frozen soil • Spring – damaging to turf • Newly planted trees – none first year • Trees alone – late winter/early spring • Split applications are desirable

  37. Type of fertilizer • Formulation • Complete vs. incomplete • Nitrogen source • Urea – 46-0-0 • Ammonium nitrate – 33-0-0 • Complete fertilizers – 10-10-10, 20-20-20, 5-10-10, etc. • Compost/organics

  38. Amount of nitrogen Apply 2-3X the diameter of the drip line Pounds of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft • 0 – some continued growth of older plants, immature plants may be delayed • 2 – healthy growth of mature plants, may stimulate additional growth on younger plants • 4 – may push unnecessary growth on older plants, produces desirable rapid growth on younger plants • 6 – usually excessive

  39. Planting Mulching Fertilization Clean-up Division Herbaceous Perennials – Fall & Winter Activities

  40. Perennials - division

  41. Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs . . . . • Fall is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs • Plant at a depth ~ 2-3X the bulb diameter • Fertilization can wait until new growth emerges in spring (bone meal at planting is ok) • Dig and store tender bulbs

  42. Tender bulbs – lift and store Gladiolus Canna Caladium

  43. Cool season annuals • Certain plants will put on a good show in fall • Ornamental cabbage and kale • Others may become established in fall and put on a great show in spring • Pansies • Dianthus (Sweet Williams)

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