Transplanting A Shrub Tips
Friday, July 25th, 2008
There are several different reasons why you may want to transplant a shrub.
When you’re transplanting a shrub, you need to dig around it at the drip line. The drip line is the outside parameter of the leaves on the shrub.
Be careful to get as many roots as you can without making the root ball so heavy that you can’t move it without a Bobcat or track hoe.
Dig deep enough to get all of your major roots. Cut the roots carefully with a sharp shovel. Dig the new hole the same depth as the root ball, but twice the diameter. The sides of the whole should be scarify to allow the roots to penetrate out into the native soil.
When placing the root ball in the new hole, make sure the top of the ball is at grade or slightly above. Backfill with a mix of native soil and amendment. Add two to four plant tabs, depending on the size of the shrub.
Make sure the soil is packed in firmly around the root ball to remove any air pockets. Air pockets can be detrimental to the health of a plant.
Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the root ball and fill in any remaining air pockets. Add additional soil as needed.
Installing A Drip Irrigation Valve
Saturday, July 19th, 2008It doesn’t take much to design a drip irrigation system, just a little thought and planning. You can get your drip irrigation kit at the links below.
Connecting a drip valve into the main irrigation system involves tying into the main line that is pressured all of the time with a new valve. The new valve can be either a manual valve or an electric automatic valve hooked to the sprinkler timer.
After the valve you will install a pressure reducing regulator that will keep the pressure at an even P.S.I. Most drip irrigation systems operate best at 20 - 30 P.S.I. depending on the size of the system.
You will need to install a filter that will screen out anything that will plug up the drip emitters. The drip emitter is at the end of the line applying water to the plant.
http://www.philthegardener.com
 | 100' Roll 1/4" PE Black Flexible Tubing Drip Irrigation US $9.97 |
 | WATERING/IRRIGATION DRIP KIT. 100' OF HOSE! US $12.99 |
 | 75 FOOT DRIP WATERING SYSTEM ~ Irrigation at its BEST! US $4.99 |
 | WATERING/IRRIGATION DRIP KIT. 150' OF TUBING! US $17.99 |
 | New 150 Ft Drip Water Hose Kit plants/irrigation US $7.59 |
Weedeater Trimmer
Friday, July 11th, 2008Another way to prevent weedeater damage on young trees is to use trunk guards that fit around the base of the tree. A trunk guard is a flexible plastic or vinyl tubing, approximately 1 foot tall, that will expand with the growth of the tree. They will expand up to approximately 4 inches in diameter.
This is good to protect the tree from gardeners who are careless or even accidentally allow the weedeater string to slap the trunk of the tree. The trunk guard can protect the bark and cambium layer of your tree from damage by the weedeater string.
http://www.philthegardener.com
 | STIHL FS 110R Trimmer/ Weedeater FS110R US $105.00 (Interest Level:26 ) |
 | GRASS GATOR ELECTRIC TRIMMER HEAD WEEDEATER CRAFTSMAN US $2.99 |
 | Weed Eater 24 Volt Cordless Line Trimmer/Edger US $39.99 |
 | Ryobi Weed Eater Trimmer 30cc / 1hp/ 18"... W/ Tiller!! US $115.00 |
 | WEED EATER HEAD GRASS GATOR WHACK EDGER TRIMMER NEW EZ US $9.87 |
