Botany Buddy

It’s that time of year again, and if you have read me before, I have already chimed in on my support for your local garden center when you buy your Christmas tree.  I always like to support my local businesses, and this is one year where they could really use your help.  Where I live, this is usually a pretty “green” option as well since we are in the heart of Frazier Fir county.   The trees in our local nurseries usually come from less than an hour away.  However,  some people want to make the “greenest” decision when it comes to this ritual, and cannot imagine that  “Sustainability” could require cutting down a living tree.  Since being sustainable is contingent on those who have to do the sustaining, I thought I would put together this little guide to help you choose the best and “greenest” tree for you.

THE WORST:  Artificial Trees. These are without a doubt the most damaging to the environment.  I know that common thinking would be that not cutting down a tree would be the greenest option.  However, this is without a doubt the worst.  Artificial trees are loaded with PVC and toxic fire retardants.  Most are made in countries with little regard to water pollution and the manufacturing plants themselves do more to damage the environment that the toxins used to make the tree.  Even worse is the shipping.  Most of these trees are shipped half way around the world before they ever make it to the states. Then they are shuffled from state to state and warehouse to warehouse before they ever make it to your door.  Besides the “green” aspects of this, when it comes to sustainability you are lucky if five cents on the dollar actually makes it into the local economy.

THE ALMOST AS BAD:  Cut Trees From Box Stores. This year’s tomato blight should tell us a little about this.  In their desire to  get the cheapest possible tree to sell these companies will not hesitate one second to ship a Frazier Fir from coast to coast to save a penny.  Secondly, as evidenced by the tomato blight they will have little regard to shipping exotic invasive species such as Woolly Adelgid with them.  Since Christmas trees are “harvested” they have little regulations regarding interstate shipping of diseased plants, and with the condensed harvest season their is no way such regulations could be successfully enforced.  On the sustainability side, once again, this does little for you local economy unless you happen to live in Bentonville, Arkansas.

GETTING GREENER:  Cut Trees From A Local Garden Center. Obviously I am a little partial to this one for convenience and support of the industry, and if grown locally these trees can be extremely green.  However, many of these will often be dyed, and garden centers like to get all crafty and carry “Boutique Trees”  That tend to come from different parts of the country.  My favorite tree is actually a Noble Fir, but since moving to Frazier country I have given that option up to be green.   As for sustainability, these trees are usually bought from coops or regionally which cuts down on shipping, and puts more money back into the local economy.

YOU WOULD THINK THIS GREENER:  The Living Tree. Growing in popularity has been has been the living tree that is brought inside for a short period of time and then taken out to be planted immediately after the holiday.  Sounds “green” to me.  However, the amount of labor and chemicals that go into growing a live tree for retail sale is far greater than what it takes to grow a cut tree.  The water to keep them alive while out of the ground must be figured in.  The shipping of the soil means they can only get a fraction of the trees on the truck, and the chances of them actually surviving this torture is about 30 percent.  Very few places handle evergreens properly at this time of year, and even fewer homeowners will, even if they have the best of intentions.  Add to all of that the terrible timing of trying to plant in frozen soil and getting it backfilled correctly, this just rarely turns out as intended.

GREENER AND CAUSAL:  Local Roadside Stands for Charity. Lately it seems like the local roadside stands have been taken over by local charities, and to save money these are almost always stocked locally or regionally.  Grant it these are typically lower grade trees and they are never as pretty as the prime stock that goes to your local garden center, but if this is the season of giving this is a good way to go.  You are less likely to have artificial dyes, the shipping should be limited, and you are giving the proceeds straight back to your community.  These are also usually bought from the same folks that are supplying the box stores without the damage to the environment caused by the shipping, and since these are second grade trees you are saving them from a burn pile.

THE GREENEST COMMERCIAL OPTION:  The Local Tree Farm. Going to a local tree farm, picking out the perfect specimen, drinking some cocoa, and strapping it to your car for the sentimental journey home is without a doubt the “greenest” and most sustainable commercial option.  The shipping is limited to a drive you would make anyway.  Cut your own growers tend to use far less chemicals, and machinery.  You don’t have all the over the road trucking, and every dollar goes right to the person that grew the tree.  You also know that they are going to plant another tree right in its place because they are dependent upon it for the continued revenue.  These growers are also going to practice selective harvesting since you are choosing the tree.  They wont be clear cutting field and plowing mountain tops to keep up with the box store demand.

THE GREENEST OPTION:  Cut Down an Invasive Species: There are many parts of the country were cedars, certain varieties of spruce and pines are actually invasive species and need to be removed.  If you happen to know someone with some land that will let you cut one down, take them up on it.  You know they haven’t been sprayed or pruned and what is a nuisance to them can create a great memory for you.  At the same time you will be doing something good for the environment without taking anything from it.  This option also happens to be the cheapest.

What is the “greenest” may not be the best for you.  Allergies may prevent you from having a cut or living tree at all, and your travel, schedule, or specific traditions and needs may dictate less green options.  The important part is that you choose your tree thoughtfully because it will be creating memories in the days ahead for many years to come.  Hopefully this list will help you make the “greenest” decision you can and bring even more meaning to your holidays.

What happens when you combine politics, various county governments, Academe and community organizing?  Usually not much.  Having been been raised in Academe and involved in plenty of politics, when I first heard of a BYGL I definitely had my preconceived notions.  In fact the first image that came to my mind was the Spoofhound.  That was the name of my high school mascot. Rumor had it in the early days our football team was so inept at coming together and working as a team that the coach said they all looked like a bunch of  Spoofhounds.  The name has stuck as long as anyone can remember.  Of course when the teams are good everyone tries to change their name to “The Hounds”.  However being a dog lover I have always been fond of the name Spoofhound.  I couldn’t have been more proud of that name when they recently gained national notoriety for an act of selflessness that became a network and Internet sensation and showed how greatness can be reached when unlikely partners come together to do something good. (story)

When I first heard of  ”The Bygles” (at least that is what I call them), I have to admit I imagined somewhat of a Spoofhound effort in the purest sense of the name.  After all how could so many competing entities possibly come together to beat the odds for the benefit of everyone.  Anyone who has worked in horticulture or been a gardener knows that when you are working one on one with an extension agent it can be a wonderful experience.  However, if you knew what it requires to allow that to happen you would be surprised you had the chance to meet with an agent at all.  Typically University Extension Services are are funded by a combination of federal, state, and local or county funds.  Most are also usually torn between a university system and local governments.  This makes it really easy for someone be turned into a research assistant or someone who has to do the biddings of a politician trying to seek reelection.  Yet somehow through personal care and a love of their jobs by individual agents those of us on the receiving end are rarely aware of this paradox.  These agents are friends, educators, and ambassadors between the farmer in the field or the gardener in their yard and many different figments in ivory tours that hold the fate their existence in a very fragile web of funding and interests.

Somehow in the story of  ”The Bygles” all of these odds are overcome to create an effort more worthy of the name Superdog than a Spoofhound.  BYGL is a statewide newsletter put out weekly through the growing season by The Ohio State University Extension Service.  This seems like no big deal.  All of our local agents put out at least monthly newsletters, or at least most do.  However this one is different.  Every week during the growing season agents from every county in the state come together via conference call to discuss not only what is happening in their districts, but how diseases, insects, and trends are acting across the entire state and their region of the country as a whole.

For one day every week these people bring all of their local perspectives but put aside their local agendas to see how they can address these problems as a state and on a statewide level.  After the meeting everything is compiled into one document and not only faxed out to all of their various members and users, but also put together online where the report can be accessed.  Not only can the report be accessed, but through the effort of some dedicated agents and university staff, wonderful photos are taken and information is gathered to tell the story as it needs to be addressed today and not just recycled from some old files.  Not only that, they reach outside of their own circle to other agencies and resources, and all the appropriate links and references are included so people can quickly find what they need.  As a result they are able to address problems and needs for the entire state as an ecosystem rather than one county at a time, and over come all the bureaucratic odds.

As gardeners our biggest challenge is learning the ecosystems we work in and learning how to help the plants and animals in them to work together for the good of the entire garden.  Gardening can be challenging, but working across all the various bureaucratic boundaries, and hierarchies to pull this off has to be harder.  One of  ”The Bygles” likes to say “Information is not Education”  As someone with a philosophy degree, I have to agree.  Having managed lands in many states and across state and county lines, I have become familiar with many extension services and their resources.  They are loaded with information and are extremely valuable resources, but BYGL is definitely designed for education, not just to disperse information.

The last BYGL was just published for the season until next spring, but I highly recommend you check this site out.  I would be proud to call this dog a Spoofhound in the greatest sense.  *Note: when you go to this page the links to older newsletters are at the bottom.  The links at the top are under construction as they are archiving this years content.

As long as I can remember I have been hanging out in Garden Centers.  As a small child, my father was a competitive rose grower, so the smell of malathion is as iconic to my childhood memories as the smell of a bakery is to most people.  Of course I have gotten all green with age and what I can only assume is some sort of wisdom.  I can only think my father would have too if lung cancer hadn’t gotten him first.  Especially since he always swore it was the roses that gave it to him and not the Chesterfield Kings.  My father was a very ritualistic man, and no matter how much he loved those roses, spraying every other week, and fertilizing on the off weeks, there was one ritual that he loved even more.  It had to be rooted in his desire to find the prefect specimen, with the perfect color and shape, and then to manipulate it even more than he could the perfect rose.  That most monumental of annual quests was for the perfect Christmas tree.

I grew up in Northwest Missouri, about 30 minutes south of a little town called Shenandoah,  Iowa.  Most people don’t realize that for the first half of the 20th century Shenandoah, Iowa was the nursery capital of the world.  More nursery stock moved through that little town with nothing but a radio hall and the Tall Corn Motel than any place in the world for almost a half a century.  I grew up working for a company called Earl May.  Their headquarters was there and the location I worked at was one of the first satellite locations outside of Shenandoah.  Earl May grew into fame for having one of the first nationally broadcast gardening radio shows, and one of the largest distributed seed catalogs ever.  What has made it one of the largest grossing nursery retailers though wasn’t nursery stock at all.  It was Christmas and Pet Supplies.

In the late 70’s and early 80’s retail chains like Kmart and Pamida (not even Walmart yet) were emerging and with them came seasonal garden shops.  When garden centers realized they needed to stay open year round to compete and keep customer loyalty they started looking for seasonal sales to carry them through the winter.  Gone were the days of having roadside stands and taking winters off.  You had to be a part of the the buyers’ year round ritual to keep up us gardeners coming in.  Earl was a smart man and so were his offspring.  While everyone else was deciding whether to take on animal and livestock supplies or to set up a Christmas trees on their empty nursery lots in November, Earl May decided they wanted it all.  Instead of focusing on one, they went for both and instead of focusing on livestock, they went for pets.  They developed a chain revolving around the lifestyle of people who love living and love living things.  It was pet supplies, birding goods, and holidays of all sorts year round.  Garden supplies were relegated to less than 1/3 of the store’s floor space.  If people needed it weekly Earl carried it.  When I left the company at a height of 62 stores, they had some of the most loyal gardening customers I have ever known, but their two largest departments were actually Christmas and Pets.

My earliest childhood memories of hanging out in that garden center were not lining up to check out the first arrival of bare root roses in March, or buying my first radishes seeds.  It was the magic of walking under strands of clear white bulbs through a forest of  Scotch Pine and Douglas Fir.  We would run up and down the aisles hiding behind the tallest of trees, and drink hot cocoa or cider while dad analyzed every single tree in that place.  It had worked and Earl got me.  Of course as I grew, Earl grew.  Soon they had lights and ornaments, flocked trees and artificial trees, even to the point of carrying Macy’s famed Department 56.  All the way through high school and college and for another fifteen years beyond that, not only had I become and accomplished nurseryman and successful landscape designer, for two months out of every year, I became an Elf.  Through three different nurseries and almost thirty years of my life, I flocked trees, made wreaths, put them in stands, created arrangements, tied bows and decorated some of the most elaborate places you have every seen.  It was only appropriate that one day I would design the landscape on the Country Club Plaza, on of the most magical Christmas places of all.

As the leaves in the mountains of North Carolina begin to fall, the underlying green of the Rhododendron and Hemlock that makes them so special is coming through.  But if you go up high enough, above 4,000 feet, something else is happening.  If you drive high enough and get back into the most remote corners of  the hills you get beyond the the hardwood forests to places with names like Little Canada and Little Switzerland.  From these mystical mountain tops were you can see for miles on end, sometimes four states at a time.  It is a magical place where what at one time were natural balds on top of mountains have now been turned into special forests.   The trees are perfectly lined in rows, rarely get over 12′ tall and are perfectly pruned as far as the eye can see.  The rich dark green with the little splash of blue is unmistakable and with the shorter days as the sun goes down the stars come out like strands of clear white bulbs over the fields.  This is the origin of the Frazier Fir.  The most sought after Christmas tree of all.

Yes I am a cheesy romantic.  As much as I like to preach all my virtues of environmental awareness and tree hugging elitism, nothing excites me more than that in three short weeks I will take out my little girl and walk the aisles looking for that perfect specimen.  We will strap it to the roof, bring it home, cut off the stump and put it in water so the branches will lay perfectly open by Thanksgiving Day and the rituals will begin.  Of course I will hold back my excitement as I see it grow in her eyes over the coming weeks.  Mainly because I don’t want her to explode before Christmas day, but also because I know I look like a dork.  I will look weird enough at the annual Advent wreath making party when I break out my Felco pruners, floral wire, and perfectly pruned greens and berries.

In the meantime we’ll keep logs on the fire and marshmallows near by and I’m sure I’ll have more to say about the best types of trees and how to be green through all of this.  But for now, the green that I am feeling is that cheesy looking elf suit that is permanently tattooed to my psyche.  That same suite in reality probably made me a gardener.  As much as I run from the chemicals that are the lifeblood of the garden center and loathe the grotesque commercialism that has taken over our holidays and lives as a whole, I also realize it has helped bring us a generation of gardeners.  For that I owe Earl a lifetime of memories and a lifetime more to come.

It was another beautiful fall morning in the Southern Appalachians, and as I was driving my daughter to school I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the clouds in the valleys, the orange hue of fall on the mountains and the vivid colors that were taking over the roadsides.   Escaping in all of natures beauty was perfect for taking my mind off the Radio Disney that was poisoning my ears.  However, just as the Radio Disney was creeping in and squeezing my brain like a vice, those colors on the roadsides did as well.  All of the sudden I realized I was missing the beautiful tones of the White Oaks and Sourwoods against the Hemlocks for the bright red of the Burning Bush against the Honesuckle and Maiden Grass.  As for that beautiful American Holly, I couldn’t even tell what it was for the Wisteria and English Ivy that had taken it over.  By the time I was headed back to the house, what started out as a beautiful relaxing drive was grinding me just as much as that Radio Disney even though I had put on Abbey Road.

That brings me to this.  It always amazes me how as designers and gardeners we are always looking for the next best thing and failing to recognize and reveal the essence of the environment we are in.  In our desire to make our space more perfect, some of the greatest damage to our environment has been done by some of the greatest minds our industry has known.  Here is Asheville the Oriental Bittersweet, Japanese Wisteria, Tree of Heaven, and English Ivy that are taking over our national parks were all the gifts of Frederick Law Olmstead.  In Kansas City it was Arnold’s Red Honeysuckle that George Kessler brought us with America Beautifulc movement.  All of these people have good intentions, but in todays world we can find the information we need to plant responsibly and still have plenty of great options from a  design standpoint.

There are thousands of invasive plants out there, both exotic and native that when taken out of their native habitat can do incredible harm to the environment.  This list is limited to the ten that I see most commonly used and pushed by the horticulture industry.  These are plants that are known to be doing damage to our native habitat and continue to be sold every day.  Why do they do it?  Because of demand from customers (hobbiests and professionals) that don’t know better, existing inventories (that keep getting replenished) and the ease of growing these plant in production and in one’s yard.  When I set out to create Botany Buddy one of my goals was to get this information out, and not only make it accessible, but make available in your pocket at any time.  This list is a fraction of the information consumers need but these plants account for a huge amount of the damage being done.

Ten Commonly Planted Invasive Woody Plants

Burning Bush / Euonymous alatus  This is one of the most popular fall color shrubs in production.  It’s vivid red fall color gives it the name.  It is tolerant of drought, ignorant pruning with gas shears extreme cold and keeps on growing.  As a result it has become a favorite in commercial landscapes and roadside plantings.  In zones 6 and up, the little red berry it gets is extremely viable and is spread by the birds that eat it.  Typically a simple hedge planting in the wrong location can spread to a radius of one mile within ten years.  The native plants they displace include Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron, and Hydrangea.  Which would you rather have?

 

Bradford Pear / Pyrus calleryana  I can remember when this plant came out in the 80’s and was marketed as “America’s Most Poplular Tree” for the fall color, spring flower, nice tight shape, hardiness, and its fruitlessness.  Besides being prone to ice and wind damage due to that “desireable” branching habit, this tree turned out to be anything but fruitless.  The small crabapple sized berries are a favorite of birds and so is its branching habit.  As a result these can now be found in pastures and waterways throughout zones 6 and up.  Even worse in waterways they are replacing canopy producing trees and raising water temperatures which hurts species such as the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout.

Japanese Wisteria / Wisteria floribunda  Introduced as a favorite for Japanese gardens, its agreesive vining habit will take over anywhere zone 5 and below if left unattended.  It can reproduce by rooting if the brances touch the ground, and in zones 7 and up has vibable seeds.  It is commonly found in Eastern forests along the Blue Ridge  Parkway at elevations between 2500 and 4000 feet.  The populations are highest around cities and especially the Biltmore Estate.  While the flowers are beautiful with the Dogwoods they can girdle and kill any tree they wrap around.  There is a native variety that is finally making it into production.

Japanese Spirea / Spiraea japonica  ‘Norman’ or ‘Anthony Waterer’ is the variety that is the main culpret as it spreads by root as well as seed.  There are many varieties that are supposedly not invasive.  However, all of them have the ability to revert and spread by seed.  One positive is that it is not a favorite of birds becasue the seed is so small.  It has to fall and touch the ground to germinate so some of those parking lot plantings might not be doing as much damage as we think.  If it does escape.  One single stem of this plant can flower and germinate into a colony ten feet wide two years.  This plant is destroying our native wildflowers throughout the Southeast.

Japanese Barberry / Berberis thunbergii  This plant is most commonly planted at your local McDonalds due to its attractiveness with the golden arches.  It is just an invasive as the chain in zones five and up and is as bad for the environment as their food is for you.  The plant aesthetically is probably as numbing to your palet as their food is to your culinary sophistication.  The beautiful red berry entices the birds like a toy in a Happy Meal entices my child.  The red leaves hypnotize the plant’s buyers from a distance like the arches that can be seen from a mile away.  As a result this plant litters our forests like McDonalds’ wrappers do our cities.

 

Empress Tree / Paulownia tomentosa This plant is not commony found in nurseries, but it is pushed by many major seed catalogs for its ability to grow ten feet a year.  I would think that would tell you something in itself, but people want instant results and that pretty purple flower in May and June.  The tree has nice leaves and a habit like a Catalpa, but most of the year its appearance is cluttered by the seed pods that will spread anywhere they can find soil and light.  This is one of the few invasive trees that wasn’t brought here for planting.  Instead, before there were packing peanuts there were Paulownia!  Before there was styrofoam the seed pods of this plant were used in wooded crates from Asia as packing peanuts, and the trees can now be found along all of the railways throughout the United States.  Unfortunately one of the first places those rails went was our national parks.

English Ivy/ Hedera helix  What would a formal garden be without it?  It would be a lot more interesting and a lot more sustainable.  It is defnitely time to give this plant a rest.  It should really only be used in the concrete jungle and even then limited.  There are many more intersting alternatives live Pachysandra or an all out perennial bed.  This vine spreads by root and can climb in the forest greatly weakending larger trees if not contained.  When allowed to reach heights of 20 and 30 feet it will often start to seed and spread even more.  I haven’t used this plant in over five years, and to be honest with you, my designs, clients, and environment are far better off for it.

Butterfly Bush / Buddleia davidii  This plant is finally starting to make people’s radar as an invasive.  It is one of those that has exploded in variety and popularity over the last fifteen years.  It is still new enough the effects are just starting to take root.  However, in all zones, if these seed falls into a wetland or moist area and gets temperatures above seventy degrees for over a couple weeks, it will germiante and spread.  It is most commonly a problem in warmer mountain and piedmont areas thought the US where moisture running off the mountains provides just this environment.  The seed is a favorite of finches so they move the seed form the plant to summer wilflower patches that share ideal growing conditions.

Scotch Broom / Cytisus scoparius  This plant is to the West and coastal areas what Japanese Spirea is to the rest of the country.  It has naturalized throughout most of the West Coast.  The low growing bushy habit takes out everything in its way, and it has beautiful flowers and evergreen foliage to boot!  This makes it a favorite of growers.  There are hundreds of varieties in production, and the tollerance to drought and long bloom time make it a favorite of retailers.  As for all those little California and coastal wildflowers look out!  This one is eating them all up.

 

Norway Maple / Acer platanoides  This is probably the most planted invasive tree, but most unknown to be invasive.  This plant had been quietly taking over Poplar forests for the last hundred years.  Poplar being fast growing, straight  and light is now the most popular trim lumber.  It is often selectively harvested leaving just enough light for the seeds of the Norway Maple to germinate and establish quickly.  With yellow fall color like a Poplar’s, from a distance youwould never know the forest had changed, but the natural progression of the forest has.  As the Poplars get older, weaker ones are supposed to fall and thin over time allowing room for grand Oaks to establish along with the legacy surviors.  However, the  fast wide growing maples stunt the forest progression  making 100 year old forests look like they are only thirty years old.

This is just a start and I could go on forever, but these are the ones that I see go out on trucks every day and find hiking in nature every day.  Some people take it personally against invasives and think of the plants as “Evil” or “Bad”.  A wise 90 year old piano teacher once told me…”A weed is nothing more than a flower in the wrong place at the wrong time.”  What we have to remember is that the weed didn’t put itself there.  Either we did, or we created the conditions for it to get there.  There is no greater pervention to the spread of invasive plants than knowledge and education, and both of those are far cheaper than trying to repair the damage that they do.

All of the plants in this profile can be found in Botany Buddy’s Tree and Shrub Finder, along with more photos and information including the native habitats, native ranges, and  cutural information.  Botany Buddy currently profiles 1300 trees and shrubs and our library is constantly growing to bring you the valuable information like this that you need.

Get to the root of the issues!

There are two main things to consider when choosing a plant to purchase. First, choosing the right plant for the right spot, and second selecting a quality plant to buy. As for choosing the right plant for the spot, there’s an app for that!  Botany Buddy’s tree and shrub finder was designed specifically for this purpose. As for choosing a quality plant to purchase, this post for that.

Trees and shrubs come packaged for sale in three main forms: containerized, balled and burlapped and bare root.  The best of these to buy will depend on what you are using them for. Containerized trees and shrubs are ideal for planting in prepared beds, individual holes in the ground, or in pots. Balled and burlapped plants are best when planting in beds, or individual holes in the grounds, but do not do as well in containers.  Bare root plants do best in pots or directly in unprepared ground. Larger bare root plants (shrubs over 6″ tall or trees over 12″ tall) perform best if planted in pots in the spring and allowed to root out before planting into the ground later in the season.

There are several factors to look at when choosing a plant to purchase depending on the packaging.

1.) Bare root plants can never be allowed to have the roots dry out. Healthy bare root plants will have small white fibrous roots it they have been properly cared for. If they have dried out they may be brown but still be viable. This can be determined by scratching the root to see if it is green or white underneath. If it is, pruning them back by 20% and immediatelysoaking them in water and root stimulator (Vitamin B1) can cause the roots to sprout new growth. If the roots are dry and brittle or soft and smooshy don’t buy the plant.  The roots are probablydead.

It is also important that bare root plants have an equal or greater amount of root growth than plant growth.  Pruning back the top can solve this but it not done correctly may hurt the plant’s eventual shape and removes valuable nutrients stored in the bark that can be used for establishment.

2.) Container plants should never be allowed to dry out. Whenever purchasing a containerized plant, remove the pot and inspect the roots. The rules on healthy roots are the same as for bare roots. If the plants have small white fibrous roots they have been properly cared for. If they have dried out they may be brown but still be viable. Just scratch the root to see if it is green or white underneath.  If it is, score the roots and rough up the ball when planting.  With immediate watering they can be caused to resprout.  However it typically takes an entire growing season for the roots to get back to a really healthy state.  This can greatly affect survival and slow down growth.  The energy stored in the branches of a plant can keep it look completely healthy for an entire season even if the root system is dead.  This is why you should always inspect the roots.

There are also signs to look for that you should completely avoid. Some plants may have been left in a pot so long that the roots will have girdled themselves. They will have circled around the pot so many times that they are strangling themselves and will eventually cut off their own circulation.  Another symptom of being in a pot too long is that the plant may have used all the soil in the the pot and be nothing but a mass of roots.  They can still be kept alive in the pot with daily watering and regular fertilizing, but once planted it creates an air pocket that eventually causes the plant to dry and freeze out over winter.  If the pot is big but fells surprisingly light, or blows over in the nursery with just the slightest breeze this is probably the case.  This makes them easy to spot from a distance.  These roots are a little tight, but healthy!

Finally, the plant needs to have enough root mass to support the plant. A plant should have ten inches diameter of pot for every 12” of height on top. On trees, they should have 20” diameter of root for the first caliper inch of truck, and 10” for every inch of trunk after. If an evergreen is grown in a pot, the width of the foliage and branches should not be more than 50% wider than the width of the pot. It is acceptable for a plant to have been pruned back to stay in a pot and can be benefitial to the long term habit of the plant, as long as the roots have not out grown the pot.

3.) Balling and burlapping plants is typically reserved for very large shrubs, over 24” in evergreens and 36” in deciduous plants, or for trees. Very rarely are plants bug by hand in the field due to labor costs.  As mechanical digging has grown in popularity, so have the problems associated with it.  As a result it is recommended that if all possible you hire the person selling the plant to install it with a warranty on both the plant and the labor.  I would never buy balled and burlapped material from a mass retailer that doesn’t specialize in plants.

Healthy balled and burlapped plants will have been dug when the soil is moist but not soggy. They are typically grown in soil with a little clay to help hold the ball together, and will be wrapped in natural fiber and bound with biodegradable twine. Balled and Burlapped plants should always be shipped within 24 hours of being dug and immediately covered in mulch or gravel, and watered upon receiving. The roots or outer edge of soil should never be allowed to dry out. Once they have, it can take over a year for active root growth to resume. Any time roots can be seen emerging from the burlap into the surrounding mulch you can be assured the root system is healthy and has been well cared for.

These balls are actually a little small.

There are a few things to always look out for when selecting a balled and burlapped plant. Never buy a plant that has a mushy or crumbly ball.  Most likely the roots have been broken apart. Balls that are dry and hard with no sign of new root growth emerging from the fabric are probably not viable no matter how good the top looks. When the ball is lifted from the ground, if the bottom falls out or the burlap sags like a wet diaper, the plant has been sitting in water for a prolonged period of time and the bottom has rotted out.  At the top of the ball there should be a string encircling the trunk of the tree or base of the shrub. If this sting has cut into the bark, or the bark has grown around it, the plant has probably been girdled and will most likely suffer or die. Finally, many nurseries will rewrap the ball with fresh burlap if a plant has set on the lot too long. If the plant looks like it has been on the lot awhile, but the ball does not, don’t be afraid to look under the burlap to see what is underneath.

Sizing the root mass compared to the top.

There are a few standards that should be met regarding the size of the ball. The size of the ball needs to be proportionate to the top of the plant depending on what type of plant it is. Also when selecting a tree, it is best if the ball is large enough to support the top without need for staking.  Some good standard ratios for ball size are detailed below.  These numbers are based upon ANLA standards, and adjusted for the reality of current digging equipment and techniques.  The are also chosen to make sure you get the best stock, not the minimum standard.

Coniferous and Evergreen Trees 18″ of ball for the 1st 3′ of height and 10” of ball for each additional 1′ of height.

Coniferous or Evergreen Shrubs 10” of ball for the 1st 1′ of width, and 6” of ball for each additional 1′ of width.

Deciduous Trees 18” of ball for the 1st caliper inch of trunk and 10” of ball for each additional caliper inch of trunk.

Deciduous Shrubs 12” of ball for the 1st 1′ of height and 12” of ball for each additional 1′ of height.

Broadleaf Evergreen Trees 18” of ball for the 1st caliper inch of trunk and 10” of ball for each additional caliper inch of trunk.

Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs 12” of ball for the 1st caliper inch of trunk and 6″ of ball for each additional foot of height.

Balled and burlapped plants are always best handled by experienced gardeners or professionals.

There are many more things to take into consideration when selecting plants such as the branching structure, disease, the shape, and variety, but the most important thing to the health of the plant is the roots.  We will bring you more on pruning and shape later, but when buying at tree or shrub they almost all have pruning issues.  Mainly becasue the are being pruned to grow roots, fit in a retail space, and sell…not Grow!  That topic needs its own post. 

As for disease and insects, those are common as well in nurseries.  However, on deciduous trees, as long as the damage is limited to leaves it won’t matter.  They will fall off in the fall, and you really don’t want much growth in the first year.  So if the plant has a nice shape and is green some spots on the leaves won’t hurt.  As for evergreens, if it has an orangish or brown cast avoid it.  There are probably mites in there!  Evergreens with a determinate growth rate cannot grow from old wood if it the loose branches, so be sure the plant is healthy.  However, if nurseries killed everything that got on their plants they would probably killing you too. So if you see a tree that doesn’t have scarred up bark, and broken branches everywhere, but has a few spots on the leaves, as long as it has the root system and has been handled as described above you should be successful.     

The bottom line is if you want to be successful you have to dig a little deeper and get to the root of things.  As long as you water a plant well and keep it wet until you get it in the ground you should be succesful if you start with a healthy plant.  Have you ever wondered why retailers guarantee plants?  It is because they know if you get it home, it has a better chance of  surviving than if it stays with them. 

Next Weeks Blogs…Planting and Watering: Learn how to keep things alive and make them thrive!