Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
6/11/01
Jeff Iles, Department of Horticulture, (515) 294-0029,
iles@iastate.edu
Elaine Edwards, Continuing Education and Communication
Services, (515) 294-5168, eedwards@iastate.edu
Yard and Garden Column for the Week Beginning June 15
A Late Spring Chat with the Plant Guy
By Jeff Iles
Extension horticulturist
Iowa State University Extension
Hey, Plant Guy:
I went to one of those chic neighborhood block parties last
night. You know the drill. Stand around, engage in polite
conversation, swat a few mosquitoes and try to keep the
shrimp dip from melting through your paper plate onto your
new white pants. Anyway, just as we're about to leave, the
neighborhood gardening expert, reeking of bug spray and
wearing this very fashionable "Gardeners Do It In The Dirt"
tank-top, saunters over and launches into this sermon on the
virtues of root starter and how newly-planted trees and
shrubs need this concoction to get a jump start on life.
Plant Guy, I've put dozens of trees and shrubs in the ground
without the "benefit" of root starter, and they've all made
it. Granted, some grow slowly for a year or two, but
eventually they come around. But now I'm wondering, should
I play it safe and use root starter next time?
Wondering in West Des Moines
Dear Wondering:
Our society has become much too casual. Wearing a tank-top
to a swanky neighborhood gathering is indefensible. Even a
t-shirt is pushing it, but with the right pants it could
work.
Now for your question. Landscape plants can be, and for centuries have been planted successfully without assistance from so-called root-promoting fertilizers. In fact, to say plants need root starters to ensure survival would be incorrect. Roots are far more dependent on adequate soil moisture, appropriate temperatures and sufficient oxygen than root starters for survival and continuing growth in the landscape.
Also realize the term root starter is a bit of a misnomer. Plants are smart but they don't distinguish between root-promoting fertilizers and other kinds of fertilizers. When mineral elements are given to a plant (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, for example), the plant decides how and where those elements will be used. The point is, root starters stimulate plant growth in general, and more often than not, prolific leaf growth is the most noticeable result. Now there's nothing inherently wrong with a vigorously-growing plant, especially if it has a well-developed root system capable of supporting a rapidly growing top. But forcing a plant to produce an abundance of leaves before roots have had time to develop makes very little sense.
Testing the nutritional status of the soil before adding any fertilizer is still the best advice. You might be surprised to find the soil you're dealing with already has sufficient levels of important essential mineral elements. Never apply fertilizers just to be safe.
Hey, Plant Guy:
To be honest, I don't have a lot of patience or interest in
this backyard gardening stuff, but when the wife says "dig a
hole," my standard response is, "how deep?" Anyway, last
weekend she sends me off to buy a shade tree for the back
yard. No problem. I arrive at the nursery, find a
salesperson, purchase the best-looking sugar maple I can
find, and quicker than you can say "let's play a little
golf," I'm wheeling back into my driveway feeling pretty
good about the efficient way I've handled this chore. That
is until my wife sees the tree. I'm positive it had leaves
on it when I left the nursery, but they weren't there when I
got home. Now don't go blaming the guy at the nursery. I
loaded the tree into the trunk myself, tied the trunk lid to
the stem and figured that was good enough. Who knew 60
m.p.h., O.K. 70 m.p.h., would cause that much damage. Is
there any hope for this tree Plant Guy?
Leafless in Lake Mills
Dear Leafless:
Allow me to speak frankly for just a moment. How would you
like to be thrown into the trunk, have a heavy piece of
metal secured to your neck and then be subjected to a high
speed thrill ride that only a NASCAR driver would
appreciate? Suffice it to say Leafless, you didn't do your
new tree any favors.
First, trunk lids and tree stems are a poor combination. Remember, the water and food conducting tissues of a tree are located just beneath the bark, and any injury to the stem and to this important pipeline could jeopardize the health and longevity of the tree.
Equally important are the leaves. Without foliage, and lots of it, trees are unable to produce the necessary carbohydrates needed for good growth and development. Fortunately, trees have amazing recuperative powers and can regenerate a second crop of leaves if the first set is lost. This is the same survival mechanism that kicks in if herbicide, a late spring frost or insects defoliate a tree early in the growing season.
But refoliation is a costly process for a tree, especially when you consider how much energy must be expended to leaf out just once. But to demand an encore performance in the same year places a tremendous strain on a tree's reserves. Therefore, for the rest of the growing season, any further insults to the tree must be prevented. Specifically, plant the tree at the proper depth, don't drown it with excess water or allow it to suffer drought stress, keep lawn mowers and string-trimmers away from the trunk and promptly remove any insects caught feasting on your new tree.
Hey, Plant Guy:
I've got a bone to pick with you. Last weekend my husband
shows up in our driveway with a naked tree sticking out of
the trunk of his car. Seems he sheared off all the leaves
speeding home from the nursery. Allegedly you assured him
that everything would be alright, but only if he trimmed
one-third of the branches off the tree. What kind of advice
is that?
Livid in Lake Mills
Dear Livid:
Wow! Two letters from Lake Mills in the same week. But
honestly Livid, there must be someone down at the Country
Club dispensing horticultural information because the Plant
Guy would never recommend thinning for a newly-planted tree,
naked or otherwise. I'm sure your husband was just trying
to help the tree, but unfortunately Mr. Scissorhands
probably did more harm than good. In fact, removing living
branches from stressed trees is absolutely the last thing I
would recommend. The reason? Branches are loaded with
stored energy and equipped with dormant buds that, with any
luck at all, will produce new leaves the tree desperately
needs. Through it all, I would wager the tree still has a
fighting chance of making it. Just keep Leafless, I mean
your husband, away from it!
ml: isugarden
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