April 25, 2000
Proper Planting Depth             

           Ugh.  This will certainly go down in my memory as one of the most sluggish Aprils in recent memory.  I’m sure that there have been worse and our feelings are colored by the warm April of ’98 and the very dry April of ’99.  In April of ‘ 99 we only got a little over a half an inch of rain for the entire month.  In April of ’98, 22 of the 30 days in the month had a high temperature of 55 degrees or higher and there were only 4 nights in the month that the temperature dropped below 32 degrees.  No wonder we feel ripped off.  By the way, if you’re amazed at how well I remember past weather, don’t be.  While I had some idea that the previous two Aprils were much nicer, the statistics were garnered from the WRGB website under the heading “Albany Weather Data”.  This feature allows you to view each day’s weather, by month, going all the way back to 1989.  I know Steve LaPointe put a lot of effort into this and it shows.  I find it very handy for keeping myself attuned to our climate.   Thanks Steve!

                I’ll go out on a limb and predict that as you’re reading this (that’ll be Tuesday the 25^th), you’ll be enjoying a beautiful, dry day with a temperature right around or above 70 degrees.  In fact, the week after Easter looks, in my opinion, like it will be our first real stretch of the kind of weather we’ve dreamed of since last September.  Warm with wall-to wall sunshine.  I hope I haven’t jinxed it by predicting it but, it feels like we’re about to get our big break.

                When all that great weather arrives, we’re all going to want to get out there and start planting.  With that in mind, I’m going to, once again, remind you all of the right way to plant.  Planting seems simple enough but, on my years of garden retailing, I’ve noticed that most plant deaths are not caused by bugs or lack of water but ignoring  “proper planting depth”.  Planting depth refers to how deeply the plant is set into the soil.  Most folks do a great job preparing the soil peat moss, bone meal, and other additives to insure survival and growth.  The BIG MISTAKE PART 1 usually occurs at the final stage of the planting process.  If you’re planting a tree, for instance, you’ll dig the hole about  1 ½ as deep as the ball or pot that contains the roots.  At the bottom of the hole you’ll blend peat moss and the original soil together in a ratio of about 50/50.  For an average sized tree or shrub, you’ll want to add about a cup or so of bone meal into this blend.  The soil at the bottom of the hole is very loose since you’ve been mixing it.  This soil should be compressed before you place the tree into the hole.  Tamping or watering heavily will compress the soil. 

                After the bottom of the hole is all compressed, place the tree into it and check for PROPER PLANTING DEPTH.  When the plant is placed in the hole, the spot where trunk of the tree meets the soil of its ball or pot should match exactly the level of the soil around your planting hole.  In other words, the plant’s stem should NOT be sunk below the level of the surrounding area.  The easiest way to check this is to lay a stick (the handle of your shovel is handy) across your planting hole and make sure that this lines up with the soil at the top of the root ball of the tree you’re planting.  If the plant is too low, remove it from the hole and add soil to the bottom of the hole until you get it lined up properly.  This seems trivial but it can make all the difference to the plants health and survival.

                Once you’ve made sure that the crown of the plant (the dividing line on the plant between what is above the ground and what is below) is at the proper level, fill in the rest of the hole.  You can add more peat moss and bone meal around the sides of the root ball but, make sure that the top 1/4 of the hole is filled in with just the original soil with no peat moss added.  Peat moss is added to improve the soil’s ability to retain moisture.  Peat moss at the surface will dry out and, in a wick-like manner, draw moisture from below the plant, drying it out. 

                This is the point that inexperienced gardeners make the BIG MISTAKE PART 2.  When you dig a hole then put something into it there’s going to be dirt left over.  What do we do with it?  At this point many will opt to pile it up around the trunk or stem.  I guess it looks cozy; like tucking the plant in or something.  I really don’t know why it’s done.  The point is: DON’T DO IT!  It will have the same negative effect as planting too deeply.  If the stem above the soil is covered with soil, it hinders the plant’s ability to pass moisture and nutrients from the root system to the branches and leaves above.  Use the extra soil to build a dish-shaped  dike or berm out away from the stem of the plant.  This will collect water and direct it down to the root system below.  The importance of maintaining proper planting depth extends to 99% of planting situations.  There are rare exceptions (like tomatoes) but it is a rule that is best obeyed.  From maple tree to marigolds and even your houseplants.  You should even take care when mulching with bark and other mulches not to pile them up against the stems and trunks of plants.  I’m always amazed when I see trees with bark mulch piled in a volcano shaped mound around the trunks of trees.  Remember: roots is roots and stems is stems.  Bury the roots but let the stems be free and breathe.