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Pathway to the Hartley Has Begun + Cleaning the Monster Tomatoes & Vines Out of the Raised Beds! – https://bit.ly/46LXSBN
Plant ‘Em High, They Won’t Die! 😆 Planting More Trees on the New Property! – https://bit.ly/3rW8vmE
Planting Garlic, Harvesting Berries & Tagging Dahlias! – https://bit.ly/3PT3KSZ
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Pruning Climbing Roses on a Trellis, Arbor & Obelisk! – https://bit.ly/3qY0hE7
43 Comments
Pause the video answer Aaron's question: if you plant on a berm, you still choose to plant high or level, i.e., the top of the berm is no different than the top of the native ground. I think the idea when planting high is only to plant a couple inches high to accommodate for mulch. And, this is where the argument comes in…the roots will want to grow into the mulch…which is not stable, usually chunky, and does not offer the same stability as the native soil. Directing the water away from the trunk only requires planting a couple inches high…now back to the video.
I think what people are missing when they question how high you are planting the trees is how much compost you put around them. An average homeowner will not be adding the same amount of compost and won't be adding the amount of mulch you guys do each year.
Planting the trees as high as Aaron does should not be a problem on your property, or on properties that people add compost and mulch to the point of covering the rootball to the height it was in the nursery container. For the vast majority of us, who will not keep the exposed root ball covered, it won't work.
I live in Northern Utah and have a hard time finding PW too. They are around, but so sparce! I have one grower, so I have to rush to get what i want. Even then, it's hard to find exactly what i want.
Me too Laura, my daughter too we’re all on the autism. Spectrum smells sounds shoes socks people smacking their food when they eat clanking of dishes when someone has a pen and keeps clicking the top in and out in and out those sounds drive me insane certain tastes too called sensory issues 😊
Jim Putman Horttube has a few videos on people planting flush and then killing the trees by putting too much mulch around. He always plants his trees and shrubs about 2 inches high and then puts down mulch
It depends on they type of soil. Sandy soil should b Pete level with the soil while clay soil should be pants high. Always look for the flair.
I can get espoma fertilizers in the big box stores here in California but EB Stone is the more common brand to find in nurseries & garden centers because it is a family owned brand that was started over 100 years ago in San Jose, California.
Yes–plant high! Enjoying your videos, as always. So inspiring and informative😊
Aaron, I personally think you're tree planting high makes all the sense in the world! I didn't question it working! You're right about planting in burms too!
Re: Proven Winners and Espoma
I’m in Fresno California and I find Proven Winner plants at Lowe’s and Espoma products at Ace Hardware. Maybe those are options for your California viewer?
Are you going play us a song 🎵 on your piano 🎹??? We all been waiting to hear play whole song! 🎶
Trees and ponies or horses can be in same pasture. 😊
This year, Janey of “Dig,Plant, Water, Repeat” You Tube channel – Davis, California has started working with Proven Winners to get more of PW into the California area and inform those gardeners living in the California area as to which of the PW plants work best in those California planting zones which are, generally, more warm.
A good response to the plant 'em high doubters…empirical data drives your decision. Experience and observation has driven science for ages!
Our yard has clay, plant them high team here!!! My roses, trees anything I want to live!!! Leave Aaron alone it works!!! Also I have been plugging your website too, if you guys don't know what your want to get me for my Birthday, Christmas, etc… Garden Answer now has a store!!! I laughed so hard when Laura said "Not our Paul".
So Aaron, there are is a Palm Tree 🌴 that is native to California. 😀The Washingtonia filifera is native to Ca.
Great recap! Aaron, you plant your trees as high as you want! You both do an beautiful job❤️
23:49 ooohhhh dang – Aaron and Laura, duck and cover. Native planting is an intensely discussed topic (at least where I am) – you might have just kicked the hornet's nest!
Question for you. I know you have talked about doing a home remodel/electrical upgrade and the difficulty of living in a work zone. I totally agree, especially with two young children! Have you ever considered renting one of the houses on the other side of your property so you can get the work done? I think you mentioned once that not all of the houses in the development have been sold. It sure would be a short commute to work, while retaining a "normal" home environment for your family.
I see PW in southern California. I'm near LAX and big box and small centers have PW.
Regarding native plants… The native to the USA or native to North America vs being specifically native to your region & climate is an important distinction. Just because something is native to the USA or North America doesn't mean it will grow in your area & doesn't mean it will behave well if it does grow.
For anyone in California, California Native Plant Society is awesome & the Calscape website is a fantastic resource.
As far as palms in California… We do have one native palm in southern California but most palms planted in California are non-native.
Thank you Laura for the tip on Floret Flower Farm, I looked them up and found their website and see they are in Washington State. I've bookmarked their website. I love dahlias but have never grown them mostly because of the cost of the tubers but seeds could fit into my budget. I am in northwest Florida zone 8b so I think I should be able to grow them.
Do you always rotate where you plant your garlic each year?
I'm with Aaron – whether planting trees does not have to be "scientific". Simply be a steward of your own garden, period. What works for some may not work for others – you have to take into consideration soil type, your zone, tree species, typical rainfall, etc. Folks need to chill!
We have clay soil and I always have success planting a little high. Otherwise the bottom roots sit in water waiting for the soil to drain.
What kind of sprayer do you have (video of you spraying trees in the orchard). It sprays so well. I have a pump sprayer and I've never ever had it spray like that….😞😍 it's awesome.
I’m a Master Gardener in Tucson AZ 9b land grant University of Arizona (research based, best practices) and we had a professional arborist demo tree planting HIGH so the bottom of the trunk creates a “flare” of roots and is healthier because there’s less chance of root rot and disease with better drainage. And that’s in a desert area 2200’ elevation, alkaline soil like yours, with only 7-11” of annual rainfall. There’s your research, GO AARON!
we always called it cotton-easter – lol I didn't know this wrong until this video
Dahlia seed info..Laura who to follow?
I have always planted high. A little because I'm tired of digging and also because I want to make sure the tree doesn't get buried over time. I would guess that 99% of my trees and shrubs have lived over the last 25+ years. And yes, I've had people tell me that the trees would die. And yet they haven't.
Love the recap. So fun to hear you answers and opinions. I am with Aaron plant how you want. This is you garden and you trees. It makes much more sense to plant high and build the soil up than to have them sink and then you have to raise them or allow them to be strangled. Have a blessed day.
Sunday mornings with Laura and Aaron are always informative and fun!
I believe Aaron when it comes to planting high. We have lost several trees that weren’t planted high enough here in Western Oregon. They basically rotted so we learned our lesson. We just planted new trees and shrubs and are trying Aaron’s method. I repeated his mantra when planting every tree and shrub. 😂
The comment about bulbs got me imagining little daffodils around the boulders at the pond. Very quaint woodland.
If you want specific native info for YOUR area, check out EcoRegions! That shows you what will grow in your area and then look at the “keystone plants”- those that support the most number of native birds and insects (which is why the whole native thing matters!) https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregions
Would you consider a Chestnut tree? I think my first love of nature as a young child came from collecting chestnuts at our home. I loved the bright green texture outside and then finding the treasure or those shiny chestnuts. I collected them in my grandpa's cigar box 🙂
I've found espoma products at my local Home Depot and Lowe's but they don't carry a big variety. And PW is very sparce here in California.
I had a Hunter timer, and i hated it!! I had to be nearly right next to it to connect. Ugh! It's so stupid to have a Bluetooth timer you have to be so close to in order to work! I'd rather have a timer i can set and forget!
thank you again for another great week!
Hmmm. Anecdotal evidence is a starting place for scientific investigation – it is not a justification for an argument (a real forensic argument – not a hand-waving argument).
Trees: berm versus high planting in the ground and adding a compost top dressing: Now, imagine planting a tree on an asphalt driveway then heaping soil and compost around it, just add water. That's planting on a berm (hill). The roots will only go where there are soil, water, and nutrients. The edges of a berm or hill will dry rapidly, further limiting root growth. Water will also drain away from a plant on a berm. Eastern Oregon's poorly-drained alkaline desert probably requires organic amendments to optimize growing conditions for exotics such as flowers. You have taken the shortcut of drip irrigation, fertilizer, and compost top-dressing to mitigate this step somewhat.
"Native Plants" is another rant – "A native plant is one that has evolved naturally in its location WITHOUT direct human intervention," as is "Potting Soil". Look on the bag, it's Potting Mix – it's not soil. Soil is a well-defined scientific term – not just "dirt".
Before you begin
Soil Testing – From University of Wisconsin, re soil testing: "If you skip soil sampling, you risk growing plants with insufficient soil fertility, which will result in poor production, or over-applying fertilizer, which can have negative impacts on soil pH as well as harmful environmental impacts."
One of my philosophy professors dinged me about "arguing from authority," she confused scientific knowledge with authority for some reason. This was a Philosophy of Mind course, so there's that.
Universally, university extensions across the US (I sampled 25 regions) strongly recommend a basic standard method for tree planting. These are procedures that have withstood rigorous scientific testing – survived a null-hypothesis test and vicious peer review, you should know what those are. Some anecdotal arguments and suggestions might have a scientific basis, but many don't. Here is a summary of those recommendations for the three or four of you still reading.
– a hole AT LEAST twice the diameter of the pot / root ball – many advise 3-4 times the diameter.
– exposing the root collar to determine proper planting depth before digging. This is easily done with a water / air stream or gently probing with your fingers.
– Before planting, with the root collar exposed, any circling roots should be trimmed or unwrapped from the root ball. The depth of the hole can now be determined. Usually, after planting, the root collar is about 2" above grade. Dig only as deep as necessary to accommodate the root ball; the root ball should sit on firm unexcavated soil – taking into account settling – with the root collar ending up 2" above grade after planting and watering.
– Again almost universally, do not amend the hole with compost, bagged soil or fertilizer – with a few narrow exceptions for problematic soil types – you'll need to read some to figure out what those are. See soil testing.
– Back fill the hole using dirt from the hole. Use any leftover soil to create a slight circular berm around the edge of the hole which facilitates water draining toward the tree. It is OK to cover the root collar with loose mulch. The root collar should not remain wet.
– In dry or poorly-draining soils, it is recommended to dig the hole then fill it with water and let it drain in order to wet the surrounding soil which improves root development.
– Fertilizer. From Clemson University: "When fertilizing trees and shrubs, keep these two points in mind: (1) Fertilizer is beneficial when it is needed; but (2) Use it in the right amount, at the right time and in the right place." The paragraph that follows establishes the need to fertilize – no surprise a soil test is the first step. BTW, fertilizer is not "food", plants synthesize their own food, partially utilizing trace nutrients (N-P-K, trace metals) gathered by the roots. Most of a plant is made from CO2 in the air and water gathered by the roots. When used at all, a complete fertilizer, such as 16-4-8, 12-6-6 or 12-4-8, is generally recommended – a slow release fertilizer.
– From North Carolina State University. "Fertilizing newly installed trees and shrubs Wait until spring to fertilize fall-planted trees and shrubs. Wait 6 to 8 weeks to fertilize plants installed in the spring. Apply a slow-release fertilizer in a light band along the perimeter of the planting hole. ** Remember that newly installed trees and shrubs are under stress and should receive only a light application of fertilizer. ** [emphasis mine] Apply 1 level teaspoon of a high nitrogen fertilizer such as 16-4-8 or 1 level tablespoon of 10-10-10 fertilizer for 1-gallon container plants. Apply 2 to 3 level tablespoons for larger plants."
– Root growth in trees can be enhanced by adding mycorrhiza supplements. These fungi enhance water uptake and trace nutrient uptake such as phosphorus (phosphates) and iron which are generally poorly soluble. Different mycorrhiza species populate different tree species.
California has a TON of ag regulations, due to the very large agricultural business sector there. That may be why there isn't a big presence of PW. I know plants coming in from out of state (at least used to) were required to have little to no dirt on them, and be treated for pests. That can be a lot of work that PW isn't willing to do to enter the California marketplace.
Have you thought of making tomato chutney with the last fruits, my husband has made all the green and last of the red tomatoes into a delicious chutney .
It’s probably because California has such strict guidelines on plants being brought into their state. May be proven winners, thinks it’s not worth the hassle.