All about planting and maintenance of plants

1. Planting & Maintenance of
Ornamental Plants
By: Johnny M. Jessup
Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor

2. Introduction
• Tools vary depending upon type and
size of plants.
• Tools range from….
• Bulb planter
• Trowel
• Spade
• Shovel
• Power auger
• Front end loader

3. Planting Hole
• Hole should be
larger than plant
roots.
• Soil should be
prepared so that
new roots will grow
in it.

4. Installation Method
• Installation method is determined by
the root form whether it is….
• Bare-rooted
• Balled-and-burlapped
• Containerized
BARE-ROOT

5. Bare-Rooted Plants
• Have to have a mound or dome in the
bottom of the hole to spread roots and
direct them to grow downward.

6. Balled & Burlapped Plants
• Have a round soil ball of roots wrapped
in burlap fabric.
• Planted in a hole that is….
• Flat-bottomed.
• Straight-sided.
• Deeper & wider than ball.

7. Balled & Burlapped Plants
• Backfill soil should fill the hole enough
to raise the plant to the level at which it
grew in the nursery.
• Loosen burlap around the top of the
plant.
• A mounded ring of soil should be
formed around plant to catch water.

8. Containerized Plants
• Uses the same type of hole, mounded ring
and etc. as balled and burlapped plants.

9. Containerized Plants
• The plant must be removed from the
container and the roots unwound or cut at 2
inch intervals if pot-bound.

10. Containerized Plants

11. Staking
• Tall plants, even small trees, need to be
staked to prevent blowing over.

12. Staking

13. Mulching
• Should be done to help….
• Retain water.
• Prevent weeds.
• Improve appearance.
• Minimize temperature fluctuations.

14. Watering
• Water adequately
and frequently
enough for healthy
plants.

15. Handling
• Balled & Burlapped
• Should be handled by the root ball.
• Container-Grown
• Should be handled by the container until it
is removed.
• Then it is held by the roots.

16. Maintenance & Care
of Landscape

17. Maintenance Program
• Usually includes….
• Watering
• Fertilizing
• Mulching
• Pruning
• Pest Control
• Mowing
• Edging
• Winterization

18. Watering
• Should be infrequent and enough to wet
soil 12 – 16” deep.
• Different plants have different water needs.

19. Watering
• Should be done at
planting & frequently
for a few days to
prevent roots from
drying out & plant
wilting.
• Then less often only
as needed.

20. Fertilization
• Usually not needed for established
trees, but….
• It should be done by making holes with a
drill or soil tube about 12” deep and at 24”
intervals around the tree at the canopy
drip line where needed.

21. Fertilization
• Shrubs may need small amounts of low
analysis fertilizer, but….
• Not late in the growing season.
• Most lawns need fertilizer.
• Fertilizer should be mixed in back fill
soil at planting for shrubs & trees and in
soil bed for annuals & perennials.

22. Mulching
• Should be done at planting and replaced as
needed.
• Must be replaced over time as it decays.

23. Pruning
• Done to improve appearance & health and to
control size & shape of plants.
• Early spring flowering plants should be
pruned immediately after flowers fall off.

24. Pruning
• Usually done in off-
seasons when more labor
is available; however….
• Some plants have to be
pruned at specific times.

25. Pruning
• Early Spring Blooming Shrubs
• Should be pruned as soon as flowers fall
off so that new buds can form for next
year.
• Damaged Branches
• Should be removed as soon as possible to
prevent more damage to plant

26. Pruning
• Plants w/ High Sap Pressure in Early Spring
• Should not be pruned in spring.
• Examples include birches & maples.
• Newly Planted Trees & Shrubs
• Should be shaped.

27. Pest Control
• To prevent damage, pests need to be
controlled such as….
• Insects
• Diseases
• Weeds
• Rodents

28. Pest Control
• Done by treating the
beds and other
areas with chemicals
before planting and
as observed to
prevent….
• Weeds
• Insects
• Diseases

29. Mowing
• The keys to maintaining lawns are….
• Mow at the correct height for the type
of grass.
• Mow frequently enough to prevent damage.

30. Edging
• Makes a sharp line of
separation between a
planting and the a lawn.
• Can be done with tools
or with an edging
material such as plastic.
• Should be installed at
planting time.

31. Winterization
• Prepares plants for the winter or freezing
weather.
• Fertilize early enough in the growing season
to prevent soft new growth that will die in
winter.

32. Winterization
• Practices that help plants survive
freezing temperatures of winter
include….
• Mulching.
• Pruning.
• Adequate watering.
• Pest control.

33. Maintenance Schedule
• Careful observation of newly planted
shrubs, trees, annuals, and perennials
on a regular basis will determine the
time and amount of maintenance
needed.

34. Designed By:
• Johnny M. Jessup; FFA Advisor
• Hobbton High School