Improve the Success of Your Shrubs in Michigan
Keeping your shrubs looking full and trimmed can be difficult if you don’t prepare the area where they will be. In this article I’ll go over some of the tips that can drastically improve the success or your shrubs in Michigan. Just by following a few simple tips you can help your shrubs look more fuller, greener, and grow uniformly which can be very difficult sometimes.
Improve the Success of Your Shrubs in Michigan
If you’ve already planted shrubs in Michigan you can still use some of the tips in this article to help them grow better. The article also features tips on how to prepare the soil and beds for shrubs in Michigan and should be followed. If you’re not up to the task of doing this yourself be sure to look at some of the featured landscapers in Michigan here at Michigan Landscaping Pros. You can also use many of these tips for planting trees and tending to trees in Michigan as well.
If You’re Getting Shrubs Shipped to You…
Once the plants arrive at your home it’s important to unpack them and remove them from the shipping containers. Take care not to damage the the plants while removing shipping products from the container. Items like plastic bagging and padding may catch on the plants and break them if you’re not careful. Most shrubs are shipped with potting soil around the roots to help them survive the trip. If the potting soil is dry make sure you first add water to the soil so that the roots are in moist soil before trying to plant them.
It’s also best to plant the shrubs in Michigan in the first couple of days from when they were received. If you can’t plant them in this time frame be sure to keep the soil that the plant is in moist and protect it from natural elements that could damage it such as pets, rain, wind, etc… If you’re planting larger shrubs in Michigan that are shipped with fabric around the root system make sure you remove this fabric or it could stunt the growth of the shrubs. Some of the fabric will rot and is organic however, some of it is not. Make sure you remove it if it’s not organic.
Preparing the Soil for Planting Shrubs
When preparing a new landscaping area to plant shrubs it’s best to add four to six inches of organic matter to make the soil more fertile. Adding manure and fertilizer can really help prepare the soil that will accept the shrubs or trees. Also make sure the irrigation to the beds are done before planting. Keeping uniform irrigation of the plants can help them grow together and also help to stop spots that are not as full as others.
To begin with make sure the soil is moist and adequately watered. Planting the shrubs initially will require more water and as they take root and grow they will require less. Remember, you can water a plant too much and cause it to die just like if you don’t water it enough. Dosing the shrubs each day may be too much. Just get enough to keep the soil moist.
Improving Shrubs After They Have Been Planted
Keeping shrubs living and thriving is relatively easy once you’ve laid the groundwork. Keeping the soil with moisture content and some minerals for the shrubs is all that is really needed. You will however need to keep out invaders such as weed and insects which can destroy the shrubs and take away needed nutrients from them. Each year you’ll need to add mulch and inspect the barrier for weeds in the planing beds. A good landscaper in Michigan can do this for you and it’s usually included as an additional service to normal landscaping services.
In order to keep a more uniform shape of the shrubs they will need to be pruned regularly. Pruning monthly can keep the shrubs much more uniform that pruning them once per year. Shaping is also done as early as a few months after the shrub has been planted provided it has a good root system in place. Planting shrubs in the Springtime is best for your landscape as well.