| For Gardening Success, Put Plants in the Right Place |
Master gardener Joe Lamp'l, host of Fresh from the Garden, provides tips on creating, maintaining a thriving garden.
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Plants do have an ideal growing environment. Place them in it and they will reward you by needing just minimal care. (SHNS photo courtesy Joe Lamp'l)
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By Joe Lamp'l
Feb. 25, 2008 — In my role as host of gardening TV shows, my travels take me to some of the finest private and public gardens anywhere. So, it's no surprise that these gardens are meticulously maintained, lush and thriving. They are the types of gardens you and I dream about having in our own little corner of the world, along with the horticulturists to take care of it. I always ask the person responsible for making them look so good, the same first question; "What's the one thing you are doing to consistently keep these plants looking so good?" "Put the right plant in the right place." If I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times. And personally I knew it to be true before I ever started inquiring from other expert gardeners. Plants do have an ideal growing environment. Place them in it and they will reward you with minimal care. In the eco-friendly garden, that is an important consideration. Any plant, no matter how small or big, will flourish when planted where it is happiest. We know through scientific observation, healthy plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases. Even when pests are present, healthier plants are more resistant and resilient when attacked. The bottom line on that is they don't need chemical fixes. Plants that thrive in full sun will never look their best in even partial shade. Plants that prefer shade will become quickly stressed in full-sun conditions. Plants that thrive in dry conditions will look terrible in wet soil and visa versa. You get the idea, and yet improper placement is a prolific problem! When plants don't look their best, they're under stress. Unknowing gardeners try to "fix" the problem by throwing extra fertilizer, pesticides or fungicides at the plant, thinking that will take care of it. That's the worst thing you can do! Plants in the right place won't need to be "fixed." They'll look great all on their own. It sounds so simple and really is, as long as you know what the ideal conditions are for that plant or tree. Unfortunately we too often buy on impulse, never knowing much about the plant or even where we'll place it once we do get around to planting. Here are some tips to help you navigate through that all-important first step of putting the right plant in the right place.
- Know the conditions of your yard or garden.
- Do you know what zone you're in? It's important to be familiar with the average minimum and maximum temperatures for your area. Do you have full sun or full shade? In many cases, you'll have some combination. What about soil moisture. Is it constantly damp or hard as concrete? To make matters worse, when referring to the soil, there is dry shade, moist shade, dry sun and moist sun. It's no wonder we sometimes struggle. Unless you get lucky, placing the right plant in the right place without knowing the above can be challenging.
- Research and read the tag.
Today there is so much valuable plant information right at your fingertips. A simple Internet search with keywords like, "dry shade, groundcover, zone 7" will quickly produce several websites from university extension services, garden forums or discussion rooms, magazine articles and other authorities. Finally, all plants should come with a tag that at least provides preferred growing conditions for sun, shade and moisture. The right plant in the right place won't need supplemental chemicals for pest or disease control, and fertilization can be kept to a minimum. Even better, in our busy lives, it's nice to know that if we do our homework on the front end, our efforts will be rewarded well into the future. It's an easy rule to follow and it really works, no matter where you live. (Joe Lamp'l, a master gardener, hosts DIY's Fresh from the Garden as well as a gardening radio show. For more information, visit www.joegardener.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.) | Get DIY On Your TV. Just follow the instructions to see if DIY Network is available through your cable or satellite provider. |
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