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Jeff Cox provides the information new gardeners want in Perennial All-Stars: how to produce a garden full of healthy, attractive, low-maintenance plants. Cox, the enthusiastic host of HGTV’s &Grow It!, has selected 150 perennials, both flowers and grasses, that grow well in North American climates. Each double-page plant entry tells how and where to grow the plant, how to propagate it, and a list of ideal planting partners. In addition, each entry displa (more…)

What are soil textures? It’s actually the feel of the soil when you rub it between your fingers. How it feels will determine what type of soil you are dealing with in your garden. The soil will be classified as clay, sand, or silt. Having your soil analized by a lab will give you the right composition, but you can roughly do the same by rubbing some moist soil between your fingers.Clay soil is classified as ‘heavy’ soil due to the fact that the particles are so fine that if you walk on it or till it will become cloddy and very compact. If you rub it between your fingers it can become very cylindrical. It will absorb nutrients and moisture therefore becoming more compact and difficult to drain. Adding compost and other organic materials to this soil will be a great improvement.Sandy soil will feel gritty and its grains, made up of granite, limestone, quartz, and shale, will barely hold together. If these particles were any larger they would probably be called gravel. It will drain easily, and many of the nutrients will filter through it with water. If enough organic matter has been added it is easy to cultivate. It does have a tendency to over-drain and become dehydrated in the summer months and during wet weather it has difficulty retaining moisture and nutrients. Silt soil has particles that are smaller than sand and larger than clay. If you rub it between your fingers it will feel smooth. It drains slower than sand but is poor at holding together. It makes superior farm land but will erode very easy and will get blown away in heavy winds or even a dust storm. This is also the soil that is found in the bottom of a river.Loam is a medium textured soil that contains equally balanced amounts of sand, silt, and clay. This is also termed as good soil; all clods will break down easy and create smaller particles.  With this good loam you probably won’t want anything else. It holds moisture and with proper maintenance you can grow just about any crop. You will still have to add compost or humus and fertilizer regularly to maintain the good levels and maybe some lime occassionally to correct the acidity level.Now that you have a little better idea about the different soil textures you will be able to amend your soil to the proper level for growing your gardens.

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In many communities there are companies that offer tree and flower care programs. These programs are the fitness care plans of the plant world. They are designed to assist you monitor and care for your plants, as well as handle problems that come up. It is even possible for you to design your own tree and flower care program that can aid you as you take care of the plants yourself, with minimum help from the care professional. But one thing is certain: in order to maintain your landscape looking thriving and appealing, you do need to take an active interest in some sort of care regimen for your trees and shrubs.

There are numerous benefits connected with having a care program for trees and shrubs. Benefits include catching infestations early and identifying diseases while they are treatable and before they do too much harm. An insect infestation can cause defoliation, and if you move rapidly to evade this, your trees will look much better for longer. In addition, if plants have good care, they are more resistant to disease and will flourish, giving your landscape a more attractive look. A proper program of care can avoid these problems and save you cash on down the road. The old truism “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is certainly correct, specifically as it relates to plants.

Other problems that a tree and flower care program can help with are less injurious to the health of the plants and more pragmatic in nature. Proper monitoring can ensure that fragile branches are removed before they fall on and damage your house. Additionally, proper care and pruning of branches ensures plentiful flowering and a thicker, fuller look in evergreens. While superior flowering and fuller plants may not directly affect the health of the plant or your wallet, they do add substantially to the attractiveness of a landscape and can contribute to the better enjoyment of your home.

Most tree and flower care programs are developed and administered by specific companies that provide care. They can also be arranged by way of an arborist or a master gardener. These programs do cost money, however. There are comprehensive programs that cover all costs connected to monitoring your landscape plants and treating any problems or providing particular care. There are also programs that provide monitoring services and then charge treatments independently. The idea is to use a program that fits into your budget, and then harvest the benefits of a landscape that is well cared for.

Another approach to the tree and shrub care program is developing and following one yourself. It may cost a little money up front, as you will have to discuss with a master gardener or an arborist, but in the long run it is worth it if you take good care of your trees. In differing localities, an extension office may have a horticulturist on hand to answer your questions at no charge. The key is to figure out a care program that you can carry out yourself, or that you can carry out mainly on your own, with back up help from professionals when essential.

Developing your own plan can be very satisfying. It helps you get closer to your landscape, and it can also help you spot problems quickly. You should have a routine programme for scrutiny of trees and shrubs, as well as other plants, and a regular timetable of care and upkeep. To learn how to properly clip trees and shrubs, keep an eye out for community classes. You can even pay for a session with a professional. Paying for a two or three hour lesson in pruning can save you hundreds of dollars in having to pay a yard service to do the work. Make sure you know the best times to prune, and do your pruning on a schedule as well as the rest of the landscape maintenance.

No matter whether you pay for a professional tree and shrub care program, or whether you carry out such a regimen yourself, it is important to have a programme for the proper care of the plants on your landscape. This way you will find that you have a more attractive landscape and save money in trying to fix large problems that arise through neglect.