It is much easier to prevent a problem
than to fix it. As your plants grow, so will the problem.
If you realize your plants are too close, it is easy to
move them when they are young. the bigger they get, the
harder the are to move, and the more damage will be caused
by crowding. It is also much easier to shape,and train a
smaller, young plant than a mature one.Thinning or shaping
a young tree can be done easily, with hand pruners. It is a
major undertaking to do the same to a mature tree. If you
see any signs of insects or disease, do something before
the problem gets severe. If you take care of these things
when your plants are young, it will save you a lot of time,
effort, and money later. Your plants will look better and
be healthier too.
It is a common misconception that a low branch on a young tree will get higher as the tree grows. A tree puts on new growth from the top. A branch that is 3 feet from the ground when the tree is planted, will be 3 feet off the ground when the tree is mature. Unless you want a mature tree that is full to the ground, the lower branches should be removed while the tree is young. Also remove any branches that cross, or rub against another branch.
If you stake a newly planted tree, be sure to remove the stakes and most importantly the wires within a year. Otherwise the wires can girdle the tree, and cause permanent injury, or even kill the tree. Most trees do not need staking.
When creating a new bed area, be sure you begin by killng and/or removing all grass and weeds. Be sure to get the roots, or the weeds will be right back in a few days. If you start out with weeds, you will most likely always have a weed problem. The easiest way to gid rid of them is to spray the area with "Round-up" a few days before you begin preparing your bed..
Do not use plastic as a weed barrier. It does not allow the plant's roots to"breathe". Landscape fabrics are not effective either, and make it extremely difficult to add or remove plants from your beds. Some of the beds I've seen, with the very worst weed problems had landscape fabric!
Plan Ahead
When creating your bed areas, be sure they are large enough for your plants to reach their mature size. A plant may fit in a 2 foot wide bed when it is planted, but it will look silly in that bed when it matures at 6 feet wide.
Be sure to space your plants far enough apart so that they have room to grow and mature.
Photo: These mature at 8-10 feet wide!Not only will the pfitzers in the picture outgrow that narrow bed very soon, They are much too close together. Whoever planted these either didn't know, or didn't care how large these plants get.
PatienceSometimes I wonder if God gave us plants to teach us patience, and to punish us for lack of it.
If we are patient enough to wait, a landscape can grow into a beautiful, carefree place.
If we are so impatient that we crowd our plants together, and use ones that are young, but are the size we want NOW, and only consider what it looks like NOW, with no concern for the future, we will be punishd by an overgrown maintenance nightmare as the plants mature. Seems to me to be a good lesson, but some people never learn.
Privacy Screens
People are always asking about a fast growing privacy screen. I've seen some real "monsters" caused by people who Wanted a quick screen. If it grows fast enough to make a good screen in 1-2 years, It will be an overgrown "monster" in 4-5 years. Beware of anything that gets that large that fast. It will continue to grow that fast! Select a plant that grows no taller than the maximum height you want, and be aware of width. Many plants grow as wide or wider than they do tall. This may be fine if you have a large yard, but can take over a small one. People often space plants much too closely,"so it will fill in faster" this may work fine for the first year or two, but as the plants mature, they will become a maintenance headache, and will be overcrowded. Overcrowded plants will try to thin themselves out, causing ugly dead branches. They will be forced into awkward shapes, since they cannot grow into their natural shape. Even if you remove some of the plants to give the others more room, The remaining ones may be permanently mishapen from overcrowding.
Remember, "Patience is a virtue". Plants should be spaced as far apart as their mature width.
My suggestion for a nice, and beautiful screen: "Camellia sasangua" (Zones 7,8,9) Its evergreen, grows 7-12 ft. tall, 5-7 feet wide, with beautiful flowers October-January-When other flowers have long faded! There are several varieties with, white, pink, or red blooms. Sun or part shade. Beautiful!
My vote for the worst choice for a "screen": Eleaegnus. Actually, it gets my vote for the worst landscape plant for any use.
The easiest way to solve any problem is to prevent it. A little thought and effort in the beginning will save you a lot of time and effort later.
If you plant a tree you will have a tree. If you don't want a tree, don't plant one. It constantly amazes me the number of people who plant a tree and then complain because it is a tree! I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard, "I didn't know it would get that big". (READ THE TAG!)
It takes a whole lot more work to dig up your plants after you finally realize they are not what you wanted, than it takes to plant them. In the last 2 weeks I have dug up several large beds of mature pitzer junipers because "they had no idea they got that big". All were near streets, and blocked the view of traffic. READ THE TAG! Know how big a plant gets before you plant it! I guarantee they paid me considerably more to dig those monsters up than it cost to buy them, and have them planted. A little forethought would have saved them quite a bit.
It would save a lot of people a lot if they would just READ THE TAG!
Never plant a plant according to the size it is when you plant it. Always plant it with its mature size in mind. It will get that big, & sooner than you think!
Creeping or Spreading ThingsOne of the tackiest, and most common things I come across is where ground covers (most often Monkey Grass) have crept into small bushes, and is growing through them. Beware of anything with the words "creeping" or "spreading" in the name or description. They will do what they say. Not that you shouldn't use these plants, just be aware of their habits, and head them off early. The longer you wait, the worse they will get, and the bigger job it will be to "tame" them.
