


How To PLANT SHRUBS 

Shrubs in 
front, fall 
Shrubs in the 
rear 

WS Give pot rim 
Sits a sharp tap ~~ 
(/| & ona solid zJ v aS 



Soll Line For 
Planting 
REMOVE PLANT FROM CAN R POT 
ip eS 



r 










Fill hole with 
Se soil ah sal! se = 



Water|tamp with 
: stickand fill 
os |balance with 

PLANTING 
CANNED SHRUBS 
(above) 
BARE Root SHRUBS 
(right). 

Soil Line 

Spread roots out in 
30 uncramped posit- 
ion. Work loose soil 
~ebout fire Feed- 
10q roots, water and 
tamp as above, 






All prunings 
on root should 
be clean cuts. 






Water well 
by ranr7ing 
hose in basin. 


Make saucer \ 
of extra Soil 
to hold watec 


Helpful Planting Hints 
A Few Suggestions for More Gardening Pleasure 
in California. 
Our mild climate and a growing season throughout the year permits unlimited garden 
possibilities. We are able to plant at any season with ease and safety by purchasing all 
types of plants in tin cans. 
Many annuals commonly associated with the summer garden are only planted in the 
fall for winter bloom. Curiously enough, these winter blooming plants including such items 
as Cyclamen, Snapdragons, Pansies, Primroses, Stocks and Winter Flowering Sweet Peas, 
would rapidly dwindle in the heat of summer. It is therefore customary to plant annual beds 
twice a year, once for winter bloom and again for summer. 
The climate of each locality has a great influence on the type of garden one can have. 
Along the coast the climate is moderated by the ocean. The increased humidity makes 
possible beautiful summer gardens. Inland, with less humidity the winter gardens are the 
better and for summer one resorts to shrubs and drouth and heat resistant annuals. Plants 
seem to go dormant, at least they grow slower, during the hot weather and pick up again 
with the coming of cooler weather and rain. The higher mountains, popular for summer 
residences, present a different problem. Severe winter weather with snow and frost 
eliminate many tender plants from the landscape. One must resort to the hardier evergreen 
shrubs, and trees, and to conifers and deciduous plants. We have compiled a brief list of 
plants for the mountains and sea shore on page 23. For further information we will gladly 
assist in the selection of plants and answer questions pertaining to their planting and 
care. Our business is to grow suitable material in the best possible way. We don't stop 
there, however; we want you to have the best results with them. Only fine plants with 
adequate care will give the most satisfaction. 
In our experience the easiest way to guarantee good results with plants is to plant them 
properly. The following suggestions will help in minimizing failure directly caused by 
improper planting: 
Plants and shrubs in cans: Perhaps the most individual characteristic of California is the 
use of cans for growing nursery material. Extremely hot days should be avoided, if pos- 
sible, but planting at such times should be done in the cool of evening. 
Getting plants out of cans. Have the nursery salesman cut the cans for you. Plants in 
cut cans will last several days, with watering, until planted. You may cut them yourself, 
using a pair of long handled pruning shears, tin snips, or a sharp asparagus knife. Make 
two vertical cuts, on opposite sides of the container, from top to bottom. Then pull the two 
halves apart from the top. The bottom on one side will fold down whence the plant with 
its ball of roots may be easily slid out. 
Don’t break the ball of roots. The soil in the can contains the roots of the plant, very much 
like the burlapped ball of soil on field dug shrubs. To break this ball injures many of the 
feeding roots and the plant will either die or suffer a long setback. Such injury is serious 
in most plants but is often fatal in Bougainvillea, Azaleas, Roses, and a few others. If the 
soil breaks it is necessary to cut back the top growth in proportion to the seriousness of the 
root injury. Never plant when the soil about the plant is soggy wet but wait until it has 
dried enough to be solid. 
Removing plants from pots: Potted plants can be removed from their pots by a simple 
method. Place the fingers of one hand over the soil in the pot, to prevent the plant from 
falling and breaking. Hold the pot with the other hand and give the outside rim a sharp 
tap against a firm solid object such as a fence rail or the handle of a trowel set firmly in 
the ground. Plants that are potbound may require several taps, in which case rotate the 
pot slightly with each tap until the plant falls freely from the pot. 
Bare root plants: During the winter dormant season deciduous trees, shrubs, and roses 
are available without soil on the roots. All broken roots should be cut with a sharp pruning 
shears to make a clean cut which will rapidly heal. Otherwise decay may set in. The 
roots should be protected from drying as much as possible. Spread them out in a hole 
sufficiently large to accommodate all without crowding. Don't double the roots up into a 
ball. If the root spread is greater than the hole, make the hole larger. Sometimes a root is 
excessively longer than the others and should be reduced to the average length of roots by 
a clean sharp cut. Never fold it back into the hole. It is imperative to pack the soil tightly 
about all the roots and force out all air spaces. To accomplish this, tamp or puddle, 
moistened soil in and about the roots when the hole is half filled, using a blunt stick and 
tramp with the heel when completely filled. Be sure to prune all bare root material back 
at least one-third. 
Planting balled or canned shrubs: Prepare planting holes a foot or more wider than the 
diameter of the ball or can, and deep enough to allow the plant, after planting is com- 
pleted, to set at most an inch lower than it was before. Place the ball carefully in the hole, 
without breaking, level it by forcing dry loose soil under the low sides, and half fill with 
good soil. At this stage of planting balled shrubs the burlap should be loosened from about 
the top and folded down on the soil. Pour at least a pai! of water into the hole and when 
settled fill completely. Make a basin about the trunk of the plant with the soil left over 
from planting and fill with water. This basin will serve as a watering trough for several 
seasons following. 
Acid soil plants: Camellias, Fuchsias, Azaleas, Ericas, and Daphne require an acid soil 
for their normal development. No lime in any form, even in fertilizers should come in 
contact with the plants. Since water is on the alkaline side it will soon render any acid 
bed neutral or alkaline and it is necessary to replenish the acidity. At least twice a year 
spread soil sulphur about the beds and water it in with the hose. The soil for such plant- 
ings should be composed almost entirely of peat moss or oak leaf mold, with some sand 
and a little soil. 
32 
