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Planting a Shrub

Bob, landscape architect Clara Bachelor, and contractor Bob Marzilli show how to plant a balled and burlapped shrub.
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Planting a Shrub

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Planting a Shrub

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" Now let's talk about all the plant material that's here it is late in the summer and some of it is looking a little bit off but. What were your choices in the background there."

" We have -- they and I should also add it looks a little bit off because it was just it was just planted right and so this time next year it should look much better ensure yeah. We have three different kinds of day lilies which will spread out the bloom for a month. We have the tallest ones in the back that are yellowing and we have some red in the front."

" And these will off the aliens that you'll really see the soil right that's right after a year to metal -- solid green back there and then what about all this kind of gray green fluffy stuff this silver mound will stay this way all season from early spring through fall."

" And it will form and that they'll see no dirt here either minute. It will not produce a flower and no that'll be this fluffy grey green to a beautiful coat and then of course overhears this opulence that we picked the other day that's right that's a senior brilliant and as we sought the nursery there was just one. There was a little bit pink and now we have a sea of -- here that should stay yeah well -- these become established -- to form a solid -- that's right yes."

" Models and then we've got all the fellas working on under the dogwood tree here what have you -- that's right for a ground cover. "

" Here we have -- am -- Rodham which commonly called city again scaling and -- Rodham. Which is the common name the sweet Woodruff yeah and it's a wonderful. Perennial that will be. Again all these perennials are going to fill in and formed a solid France and this we'll have a -- hopefuls white blossom in the spring that'll just make it look -- and it'll bloom at the same time that the dogwood is coming in a little bit early."

" So first the white men can't. Gorges. Well from here you can appreciate that hold. Thinking of using low plantings up against the architecture so that don't have big shrubs hiding things."

" What's that in the corner news shrubs and that's that's look what we call of blue holly if it has a traditional holly shaped leaf. Some people say it has sort of a blue cast and -- and it's a female holly looked at my thread here and get big. Well we can keep that it takes pruning quite easily and it will still look natural so we can keep that."

" At about the height of the railing good well let's talk about planting as -- I've got some of our beautiful."

" What will -- through in Kiev this also answer just yet with the red stems that'll look nice against the house and here we have Bob my silly I thought he might violate as the ceiling and."

" You've got a head start -- get two of these already in the holes and why."

" Do you always end up with three year five I noticed where we're at we're putting three up here under the gable end while we're doing an in formal plantings -- the three will allow us to bring the middle one out and make our. Triangular shape in -- and we'll just look informal and attractive as opposed talents yes OK as opposed to being."

" Permanently symmetrical and Bridget what you've already made the hole any tips when you have something like this that in burlap in a ball any tips on the size of the home."

" Well generally on a shrub which wanted to would you like to make -- hole about six to eight inches ladder around us and then. The plant itself that'll. Proper root growth the level to grow in that space yeah."

" And what about the depth of the home of what -- do is -- plant it we'll plant it usually about two inches above and as a grade goes because it don't wanna. Bury it any higher than where it existed before that kind of -- Camby Amaya Camby admirers. In the air free and you don't want to suffocate it they have to detector until the plant if you put it to --"

" What about soil preparation is this looks pretty fancy here would we have well what we have here is. They've mix of top soil and he and generally what we do is we mix 13 the last two thirds top so. And the -- just increased a lot of retention capacity of the soil. Therefore giving the plant more. Ability to -- more around the plant it right it won't dry out well can we drag this wouldn't going to get you can't picture can't."

" And then there's a little bit of arc involved that's right they're Clara and we want to positioning it we want to face it that means we want to get that's the right side facing now. So let's twist it a little bit."

" Think that way that's. All right so now what about the the burlap that is covering the ball. What would you do and you have to cut it all away get it out of there."

" He actually coming -- aware will be leaving at end because a burlap will decompose naturally in here and you have to make sure that they've -- in -- out."

" Real burlap with plastic burlap if it's plastic burlap you have to take it out of its real burlap. Yeah."

" Now also heard that if some of the burlap is left exposed above grade it black that the wicked dry out the bottom roots. That's true that is correct. And what you want to do is want to cut it away and stay in the hall to decompose and."

" Erotic over -- that looks good now we start back filling and how important is it. To really compact the soil in there and traffic bearable actually don't want to -- to you don't want to -- down but really what we want to do -- just. Back felt. The soil amendments. The natural where the soil. -- itself and and then what would do is watered down. Saucer -- first."

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