Planting Native Plants

Planting American Beauties Native Plants

Make sure your plants are well watered before you begin
Use your plant tags to help you choose an appropriate site
Make sure your plant still fit the area when it is mature, look up to avoid planting under power lines when planting trees
Dig a hole as deep as the pot but about twice as wide.
Mix some of the soil you removed with well-decomposed manure or compost
Remove the plant from the pot and inspect it for dead or broken roots and remove them, circling or girdling roots should also be removed
Do your best to loosen the roots in the root ball so they will not continue to grow in a circle as they often do in pots
Center the plant in the whole and turn until the best side is facing forward
Check that you are not planting too deep or too shallow
Backfill with amended soil and work it into the hole to avoid air pockets
Water well but gently so the water doesn’t just run off
Avoid fertilizing until the root system is re-established
Mulch with 2-4 inches of composted, organic mulch (wood chips, leaves, etc.) leaving a several inches between the plant stem and the mulch