FRUIT TREES:
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FRUIT TREES:
Apple - Several variety inc. Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, Red & Yellow Delicious.
Pear - Bartlett, Anjou, Moonglow
Peach - Halehaven
Plum - Burbank, Mount Royal
Cherry - Bing, Black Tartarian
Fruit trees should be tied to wooden post or some type of support when the central leader (top upright extension shoot developing below the pruning cut) is 12 to 15 inches long, to prevent it from flopping in the wind.
Trees should be watered every 14 days unless at least 1 inch of rain fell since the last watering. Use herbicides or cultivation to eliminate weeds and grass within 2 inches of trunk.
Fertilize trees twice (2 weeks and 6 weeks after planting) with a complete fertilizer (10-10-10, 10-20-20, or 5-10-10) at the rate of 1/2 lb. of 10-10-10-, 1 lb. of 5-10-10, or 1/3 lb. of calcium nitrate. To avoid root injury, place fertilizer in a band 6 to 18 inches from the trunk around the tree. Organic forms of fertilizer (manure, blood meal, and bone meal) are not recommended because the nutritional analysis is usually unavailable and the release rate cannot be controlled. High levels of nitrogen are required early in the season, and low levels are desirable during late summer.
FLOWERING SHRUBS:
Broom (Cytisus) : Moonlight (light yellow)
All Gold (dark yellow)
Pomona (orange)
Dorothy Wapole (pink)
Burkwoodii (garnet red)
Summary:
Foliage: Deciduous broadleaf
Height: 6 to 9 feet
Spread: 9 to 12 feet
Shape: Bushy
Summer foliage color is medium green. Flowers are funnel-shaped and bloom in clusters of three to five. Flower color varies from white to red.
Plant Needs:
Zone: 4 to 8
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Moisture: Wet, moist, or dry
Soil Type: Sandy, loam, or clay
pH Range: 3.7 to 7.0
Functions: Suggested uses for this plant include border, screen, and specimen plant.
Planting Notes:
Easily transplanted as bare root or container grown plants.
Tolerates wide range of soil and light conditions.
Pollution tolerant.
Prefers well-drained soil and full sun.
Care:
Easy to grow.
Prune one-third of the oldest wood each spring after flowering to maintain plant shape and control dieback.
Problems: No serious pest or disease problems.
Comments:
Most of the Weigelas available in the nursery trade are hybrids developed to
produce superior flowers.
The stems are usually covered with flowers for a short period of time in the
spring.
Best used in a shrub border or in large groups. Also serves as good background
for smaller plants.
Summary:
Foliage: Deciduous broadleaf
Height: 6 to 10 feet
Spread: 10 to 23 feet
Shape: Weeping
Small leaves are blue-green in summer with no fall color. Masses of small, white
flower clusters cover the plant in the spring.
Plant Needs:
Zone: 4 to 8
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Moisture: Wet, moist, or dry
Soil Type: Sandy, loam, or clay
pH Range: 3.7 to 7.0
Functions: Suggested uses for this plant include border, hedge, screen, massing, and specimen plant.
Planting Notes:
Transplants readily.
Adapts to a wide range of soil conditions.
Plant in full sun for best flowering.
Care:
Easily maintained.
Occasionally need to control aphid problem in spring.
Prune after flowering in the spring.
Problems:
Relatively free of insect and disease pests.
Aphids are occasionally a problem in the spring.
Comments:
Spireas are among the easiest flowering shrubs to grow.
Vanhoutte Spirea is the most commonly grown spirea, and is popular because of
its masses of white flowers and graceful, arching growth habit.
Summary:
Foliage: Deciduous broadleaf
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Spread: 3 to 6 feet
Shape: Bushy
Large, green, summer foliage has no fall color. Large clusters of blue or pink
flowers cover plant in summer. Flower color depends on soil pH.
Plant Needs:
Zone: 6 to 9
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Moisture: Wet to moist
Soil Type: Sandy, loam, or clay
pH Range: 5.0 to 6.5
Functions: Suggested uses for this plant include border and specimen plant.
Planting Notes:
Select container-grown plants for transplanting.
Requires acid soil.
Prefers sunny location for best flowering.
Adjust soil pH to produce desired flower color. Soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5 will yield
pink flowers. Soil pH of 5.0 to 5.5 will yield blue flowers. Soil pH of
between 5.5 and 6.0 will yield mauve or magenta flowers that are not attractive.
Care:
Flower buds form on previous year's growth, so prune as soon as possible after
flowers fade each year.
May need to adjust soil pH frequently to maintain desired flower color.
Problems: None serious in this area.
Comments:
Big Leaf Hydrangea is a small shrub that produces large blue, or pink flower
clusters.
It is the hydrangea available from florists.
May die to ground in winter, therefore preventing blooms the following year.
Salt tolerant and flourishes near the shore.
Viburnums are dependable and interesting in all seasons of the year. If you select the right species you can have a wealth of fragrant white flowers in the spring, glossy green leaves during the summer, attractive autumn foliage and bright-colored fruits in late summer and fall. Viburnums are sturdy shrubs, easy to grow and most are hardy throughout Virginia. Viburnums are virtually pest free, except for attacks by aphids.
Viburnums Are Versatile
Viburnums can be used as specimen shrubs or small trees or in border plantings as they range from small to very large. Choose those that fit your space limitations. If properly located, the shrub should need only moderate pruning to retain a desirable form.
Viburnums can be used to attract wildlife such as birds and small mammals because of the abundance of fruit produced on each bush. Plant in well drained, fertile soil with a mulch of wood chips or other organic material extending several feet from the base to conserve soil moisture and help suppress weed growth.
The Doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum tomentosum) is undoubtedly the most spectacular of the family. In mid-May, large white flowers are produced in flat clusters, along horizontal branches somewhat like a dogwood. It grows eight feet tall with a slightly larger spread. In the fall the foliage changes to a bright red and is accompanied by attractive red fruit which gradually turn black.
The Koreanspice viburnum (V. carlesii) is a favorite because of its fragrant spring flowers. The white flowers emerge in late April to early May followed by red to black fruit from August to September. This dense shrub is usually rounded with stiff, upright spreading branches. It normally reaches a height of four to five feet with an equal or greater spread.
Summary:
Foliage: Deciduous broadleaf
Height: 4 to 12 feet
Spread: 5 to 15 feet
Shape: Upright
Green foliage appears before the large clusters of fragrant flowers bloom in
spring. Flower color depends on variety and is purple, pink or white.
Plant Needs:
Zone: 3 to 8
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Moisture: Wet or moist
Soil Type: Sandy, loam, or clay
pH Range: 4.5 to 7.3
Functions: Suggested uses for this plant include border, hedge, screen, massing, and specimen plant.
Planting Notes:
Plant in full sun for best growth and flowering.
Performs best in neutral soils (pH near 7).
Cold and drought tolerant.
Care:
Proper pruning is necessary for attractive plants and minimizes borers and
powdery mildew.
Prune 1/3 of the oldest wood at ground level after spring flowering. Remove the
oldest wood and any weak growth.
Cut off flowers as soon as they fade.
Problems:
Borers attack older Lilac stems.
Powdery mildew is a common summer disease.
Comments:
Lilac is one of the best known and most commonly planted of all flowering
shrubs.
It is grown primarily for its late spring flowers. The so-called French hybrids
are among the most popular of this species.
Both single and double-flowered forms are commonly available, and most are very
fragrant.
Planting shrubs is one of the smartest things you can do - both for yourself and your community. Shrubs can help increase the value of your property and provide privacy and beauty around your home.
Your shrub will come in one of four forms: barerooted, balled and burlapped (B&B), container-grown, or containerized. Plant bare-rooted shrubs in the late fall or early spring. Only deciduous plants are sold bare-rooted. Do not buy or plant a bare-rooted shrub which shows new growth. Container-grown plants or balled-and- burlapped shrubs may be planted at any time except when the ground is frozen. Some plants are containerized at the retail outlet; the retailer receives the plants either bare-rooted or balled-and-burlapped, and then pots them with soil. Make sure these plants have well-developed roots that hold the soil together when removed from the pot.
If possible, plant your shrub as soon as you get it home. Otherwise, it may dry out and be injured. If you can't plant immediately, place it in a shady or sheltered spot. Cover the roots of bare-rooted shrubs with moist soil, sand, or peat moss. Keep the soil of balled-and- burlapped or container plants moist until planting.
Since wet soils can reduce plant growth and survival, you should plant in a well-drained soil. To test for soil drainage, dig the hole for your new plant and fill it with water. If the water doesn't drain in 24 hours, plant elsewhere.
To plant the shrub, dig a hole at least twice as wide as the diameter of the shrub's root spread or root ball. Do not dig too deep; once the plant is placed in the hole, the top of the roots or root ball should be level or slightly above level with the surface of the ground. Remove all tags, wires, or ropes from the stems or trunk. These can strangle and kill the plant as it grows.
If the shrub is in a container, ease it out carefully without disturbing the root ball. Save the plastic pot to recycle. Cut any circling roots, then place the root ball in the hole. For balled-and-burlapped plants, place the plant in the hole before removing the burlap covering. Then, to ensure root growth and access to nutrients and water, pull the burlap down off the root ball and leave it in the bottom of the hole. Do not attempt to pull the burlap from under the plant - this could damage the root ball. If a balled-and-burlapped root ball is enclosed in a wire basket, and there is no other covering, the basket can be left in place. Cut the wires so they are all below the soil surface so they do not interfere with raking or cultivation.
Before planting bare-rooted shrubs, remove damaged or diseased roots with clean, sharp pruning shears. Untangle and spread the roots to a natural position. Then place the plant in the hole. For very heavy clay or compacted soils, the root ball may be one third above the soil surface.
When replacing the soil in the hole, do not add organic matter. If the original soil, or backfill, contains too much rock or construction debris, replace it with local topsoil. When the hole is about three fourths refilled, level and turn plant if necessary; tamp the soil down gently. Water the shrub heavily to eliminate air pockets. Then finish filling the hole with backfill to its original level. Use excess soil to build a berm or ring about 6 inches from the outside edge of the hole. Then water heavily again.
If shrubs are to be mass planted in a bed or where the entire planting area can be worked, the soil can be amended by incorporating 3 to 5 inches of organic matter into the entire bed to the depth equal to the height of the root ball. The shrubs are then planted into the amended area.
Watering during dry periods of the first growing season is crucial, especially with container-grown plants. Container and balled-and-burlapped shrub roots dry out faster than the soil around them, so -it is particularly important to monitor their soil moisture. In the nursery, the roots of container and balled-and-burlapped shrubs become concentrated in a small root ball which is watered daily. After planting, the roots of these shrubs will eventually spread into surrounding soil. Until that happens, however, the shrubs continue to draw water mostly from their root ball. Consequently, if the soil near the trunk is dry, shrubs need water.
Water heavily once a week during periods of no rain. Use a garden hose to slowly soak the soil. Always allow the water to reach the top of the berm built around the plant. This will provide deep water penetration and encourage widespread root development. Always check the soil moisture before watering to avoid overwatering as this can kill the plant.
Anticipate the mature size of shrubs. Shrubs should never be planted too close to building foundations or walkways. Otherwise, when fully grown they may block windows, crowd or damage buildings, and interfere with foot traffic.
Place mulch (pine needles, straw, bark chips, or slightly decomposed or shredded leaves) 2 or 3 inches deep around the shrub. Mulch will reduce evaporation of water and reduce weed and grass growth around the plant. It also protects the shrub from lawn mower and string trimmer injury. Avoid overly deep mulch or piling the mulch up against the trunk of the shrub; this promotes shallow roots, disease, and pest injury.
Applying the correct fertilizer at planting helps ensure healthy plants. Incorporate a slow-release fertilizer, preferably composed of 25 to 50 percent water insoluble nitrogen (WIN), into the soil backfill at planting time.
If your plant's growth is slow or its leaves appear paler than normal, have the soil tested (ask your local Extension agent for soil test forms and instructions) and follow the resulting recommendation. After the plant is established, check with your local Extension office to establish a regular program of fertilization.
Other helpful links:
Maryland Cooperative
Extension
Virginia Cooperative
Extension
Virginia Berry
Farm