Planting Procedures and Plant Recommendations
Shrubs have definite growth habits in height, spread and form. Choose plants that will ultimately meet the design requirement. If you have the space for a 3-foot-by-3-foot shrub but plant one that will mature at 15 feet in all directions, chances are you soon will be dissatisfied with your selection. Do not attempt to artificially manipulate plant form and size to conform to unnatural shapes. Instead, choose specimens that have the forms needed for design specifications.
Shrubs (and trees also) are divided into two groups based on their leaf-retaining characteristics. Those that drop all of their leaves at one time of the year and are bare of leaves for a period are called deciduous plants. Evergreen plants drop their foliage throughout the year, never going through a period where they have no leaves. Some plants do not fall into a specific category since leaf retention can be determined by environmental conditions. These groups may be classified as semi-evergreen or semi-deciduous.
The well-designed landscape most often contains both deciduous and evergreen plants. Seasonal change is accented by using both types. Greater contrasts in plant form, texture and color are achieved with a variety of plant types. Using best management practices to properly place deciduous and evergreen plants in a landscape improves energy conservation in the summer and winter months.
Popular shrubs planted in Louisiana landscapes include azaleas, camellias, sasanqua, hydrangeas, Indian hawthorn, cleyera, ligustrum, dwarf yaupon, holly and gardenias.
Fall is the ideal time to plant new trees and shrubs. When planting an individual tree or shrub outside of an existing landscape bed, follow these procedures for optimal establishment. For container-grown and ball-and-burlapped trees and shrubs, begin by digging a hole at least twice as wide and to the same depth as the root ball. After digging, ensure that about 1inch to 2 inches of the root ball is raised above the surrounding soil. For container-grown plants, loosen with your hands or a knife any roots that have been matted while growing in the container. Also, cut through any circling roots. During the planting procedure, return to the planting hole the same soil that was removed from the planting hole. Do not amend the backfill. Water in the plant to release any air pockets, and use any remaining soil to build a berm around the hole to create a watering basin. If you have a ball-and-burlapped plant, be sure to untie or cut the burlap from the top one-third to one-half of the root ball.
Trees are one of the most valuable assets in a home landscape. Energy conservation and many other environmental benefits are achieved when trees are properly used in a landscape.
|
Small Flowering Trees
Dogwood
Mayhaw
Grancy Greybeard
Silverbell
Crape Myrtle
Eastern Redbud
Parlsey Hawthorn
Medium to Large Flowering Trees
Swamp Red Maple
Southern Magnolia
Tulip Tree (Tulip Poplar)
Oriental Magnolia
|
Trees Tolerating Wet Soils
Willows
Mayhaw
Swamp Red Maple
Nuttall Oak
Baldcypress
Tupelo Gum
River Birch
Wax Myrtle
Drought-tolerant Trees
Yaupon
Vitex or Lilac Chaste Tree
Chinese Pistachio
Crape Myrtle
Green Ash |
Fast-growing Shade Trees
Chinese Elm
Baldcypress
Cherrybark Oak
Green Ash
Southern Red Oak
Nuttall Oak
Sawtooth Oak
Tulip Tree (Tulip
Poplar)
Sycamore
River Birch
Trees to Attract Wildlife
Sawtooth Oak
Mayhaw
Yaupon
Wax Myrtle
Silverbell
Pawpaw
Pecan
Eastern Red Cedar
Parsley Hawthorn |