128 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



May, 1913 



Planting and Pruning Shrubs 



H. J.'^Moore, Queen Victoria 



ORNAMENTAL shrubs are either 

 evergreen or diciduous, but by far 

 the greater number belong to the 

 latter class. Shrubs which lose their 

 leaves during the fall, with the ex- 

 ception of the more tender kinds, 

 may be planted at any favorable 

 time during the months of October or 

 November, or in April and early May. 

 For many kinds the fall months are the 

 best, but as the prospective planter is 

 concerned at present with spring plant- 

 ing remarks pertaining thereto will be 

 more in keepipg. 



The method of planting is as impor- 

 tant as the time, and when small areas 

 such as beds or borders are to be plant- 

 ed these should be thoroughly dug or 

 trenched. It , is important that the soil 

 be worked deeply, for successful culture 

 def>ends upon the formation of a healthy 

 fibrous root system. If the soil is a 

 heavy clay loam it is well to incorporate 

 such materials as stable manure, humus, 

 in the form of decaying leaves or straw, 

 and lime rubble, as these tend to me- 

 chanically open the soil, render it por- 

 ous, and upon decomposition to supply 

 the necessary plant food. 



Holes large and deep enough for the 

 reception of the entire root system 

 should be dug. When placing each 

 shrub, be careful to spread out the root- 

 lets so that they radiate toward the cir- 

 cumference of the hole, in the bottom of 

 which the soil should be forked finely. 

 Gradually work fine soil between and 

 around the root fibres and at the same 

 time gently move the shrub to ensure 

 even distribution of soil and separation 

 of the rootlets. After the root system is 

 entirely co\-ered tramp carefully to firm 

 the soil. Give water if the weather at 



Park, Niagara Palls, Ont. 



the time of planting is dry or warm and 

 finish the operation by filling the hole to 

 the ground level and raking the surface 

 finely. When it is desired to plant 

 shrubs in lawns it is good practice to 

 excavate much larger holes than the dia- 

 meter of their root systems. If the soil 

 is not of an apparently fertile nature it 

 is well to mix with it leaf mould, semi- 

 decomposed stable manure, or if pos- 

 sible, good loam. When planting, do 

 not err by placing the roots on a hard 

 impervious surface, but fork deeply to 

 afford drainage. Place a layer of fine 

 soil over the entire bottom, upon which 

 spread the roots carefulv in the manner 

 advised for border planting. 

 MTTLOHING 



Ne>vlv planted shrubs shculci be rrulch- 

 ed with straw in a half-decomposed 

 state, or with decaying leaves to con- 

 serve the moisture in the soil if plant- 

 ed in the spring, or to prevent injury by 

 frost if fall or winter planted. Rich, 

 well-rotted manure should not be used 

 as a mulch until the shrubs have made 

 new fibrous roots, whose root hairs are 

 capable of absorbing the food materials 

 in solution which are rapidly formed in 

 all fertile soils. 



Many shrubs are annually killed by 

 excessive applications of rotted stable 

 manure as a mulch to soils already rich 

 in essential food materials, especially 

 those planted during the fall whose in- 

 active roots are incapable of absorption, 

 and must remain in a urine saturated 

 soil until growth starts in the spring. 

 These remarks on mulching apply also 

 to trees which in transplanting often 

 suffer injury to, or reduction of the root 

 system. The folly of applying rich man- 



ure to these will be obvious to many. 



AKBANOEiraNT 



The manner in which the shrubs an- 

 arranged is usually dependent upon the 

 area at the disposal of the planter, or is 

 purely a matter of taste. In the herb- 

 aceous border mixed shrubs make a 

 splendid addition, provided they are 

 properly placed, either as a background 

 or to relieve a somewhat monotonous 

 grouping of herbaceous subjects. When 

 they are associated with herbaceous per- 

 ennials, the aim of the planter should be 

 to afford variety, and a succession of 

 bloom through the entire season. To 

 attain this, a.scertain carefully the flow- 

 ering period of any desirable species or 

 variety and plant accordingly. 



When it is desirable to make large- 

 plantations the genera are better group- 

 ed individually ; for instance, a clump of 

 Syringa (Lilac), Viburnum (Snowball), 

 or Hydrangea paniculata will furnish a 

 grander effect when arranged in large 

 masses separately and flowering simul- 

 taneously than if dotted individually in 

 mixed collections whose constituents 

 flower at diverse times. 



Short Hints on Planting 



Wm. Hnnt, O.A.C., Gaelph, OdI. 



Get the roots of all plants to be plant- 

 ed under the ground as quickly as pos- 

 sible. Half an hour's, or even a few 

 minutes', exposure of the roots to hot 

 sun and air will materially injure them. 

 Heel the plants in temporarily in soil, 

 or cover them up closely with damp, 

 strawy manure, moss, or even old bags 

 or sacking. Soil, however, is the best 

 material . 



Most of the fibrous-rooted perennials, 

 such as campanula, helenium, rudbeckia, 

 cerastium (Snow in Summer), phlox sub- 

 ulata (Moss Pink), and similar plants 

 can be transplanted in spring. Plants 

 that have fleshy or rhizome roots and 

 bulbs, are best planted or transplanted 

 in the fall. Lily of the valley and other 

 garden lilies (L. candidum, L. elegans, 

 and others) are best transplanted early 

 in September . Lily of the valley is best 

 set out in small clumps four or five 

 plants in a clump, and the clumbs about 

 six inches apart, or they may be planted 

 singly two or three inches apart. 



The bulbous rooted lilies are also best 

 planted in clumps, six or eight bulbs in 

 a clump. The bulbs should be set about 

 six inches apart and from five to six 

 inches from the surface. Put three or 

 four inches of strawy manure over these 

 before vv'inter sets in. Lilies should nol 

 be transplanted or disturbed until the 

 bulbs get very crowded and the clumps 

 too large, as they do not like to be 

 disturbed very frequently. 



Paeonies, Dicentra (Bleeding Heart), 

 and German Iris are best planted early in 

 October. They succeed much better than 

 when planted or divided in the spring. 



