Planting
Plant site selection is most often the most important thing to consider when trying to insure the survival of your plant azalea.yonatan.us/site.htm
When planting a rose its important to know how deep to plant. Go to www.floweringshrubfarm.com/plantitpic1.jpg
Soil is certainly important but depends a lot on what is already there. azalea.yonatan.us/soil.htm
Many find any plant undesirable that they themselves dont know the name of or didn't plant, but many of these "weeds" have been used since the dawn of time as herbs for culinary use, medicinal use or fertilizer. azalea.yonatan.us/weeds.htm
My Volcano planting method; I use this often when building shelterbelts and lilac walks. Each lilac is removed from its pot and placed on top of the soil. If necesary we stake the plant (but we are usually starting with small plants in one gallon pots that dont require staking). We set up the drip lines to water the plants before going any further. Then we surround each plant with a volcano of ideal soil (with lilacs its usually a mix of well rotted manure and sand). Last of all we surround the volcanoes with mulch. As the mulch rots and the volcanoes become visible again we add more mulch. Over time as the worm population increases the lilac will root into the subsoil and send other roots out into the mulch. Gradually as the plant matures the level of soil around it will gradually rise.
planting depth of roses, lilacs, apple trees
roses planting depth
In zone 5, 4, 3, 2, etc. the branches of the rose should apear to come from the ground. This means that if the plant is grafted the knob from which the branches originate should be 2 to 5 inches below the soil line. The Scion (above the graft) should be encouraged to root into the soil. The root stock (below the graft) should be suppressed and discouraged from producing suckers. An own-root rose is already on its own roots. It should also be planted so that the branches apear to come from the ground.
In New York City Roses are usually planted with the graft at soil level and south of New York (where temperatures dont drop below freezing in winter) the graft is left above soil. I think its still important in these climates to protect against damage to the graft caused by little teeth.
Check the rose article at azalea.yonatan.us/roses.htm
Other grafted plants: An apple tree grown on a dwarfing root stock can be grown to full size of the cultivar by planting the graft below soil level but if you want a dwarf apple tree you must plant the graft above soil. If you are in zone 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 consider getting an own root apple tree or rose. If you want to grow it short train it to espalier. azalea.yonatan.us/espalier.htm
Lilacs are sometimes planted in moist soils by creating a raised bed that has gravel to seperate the soil of the lilac from the wet soils beneath. Lilacs can also be planted in gravel itself but you must provide water often and a good mulch until it grows a good root system. My lilac article is at azalea.yonatan.us/lilacs.htm
