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A beautiful landscape is a vital part of your home and community.
A well-planned landscape can save you money by reducing energy
consumption. It also improves the quality of your local stream
or pond and becomes a delightful place to spend your time.
Before you start to dig, it is wise to plan. The law requires
you to call MISS Utility before starting major excavations.
Look around your property and assess its physical conditions
— what is shaded, what is rocky, where is it windy, where
is the grass soggy day after day. If the project is larger than
you can handle, hire a gardener, landscape designer, or landscape
architect, or work with the staff from a local nursery to develop
a plan.
A simple sketch of your property showing the location of buildings,
driveways, sidewalks, streets, terraces or decks, septic fields,
and trees, shrubs, gardens, and lawns is a good starting point.
You can make your own custom plan with these three easy steps.
Before starting, collect a ruler, a tape measure, and several
copies of graph paper. If you don’t have a long tape measure,
a 25 foot or 50 foot long garden hose or measured piece of string
will work. This sketch is useful for making an inventory of
any trouble spots you might have or places you want to preserve.
Keep the sketch and add changes you make over time.
Step One: Start with your builder’s plan or a copy
of your plat plan. These plans diagram the shape of your lot,
its dimensions, where your house, sidewalk, driveway, and garage
are located, and any easements you will need to avoid.
Step Two: Measure your lot and home. Use a long tape
measure, your garden hose, or string. The dimensions or locations
shown on the builder’s plan may have changed during construction.
If you have such plans, double check their measurements.
Step Three: Draw your home, garage, driveway, sidewalk,
pool, patio, and other features on the graph paper you copied
from this book. You will have to convert your measurements to
make a scaled drawing. Use an ordinary ruler or a special scaled
ruler known as an engineer’s scale. The unit of measurement
for your diagram is an inch. As long as you are consistent,
you can equate any number of feet with one inch.
If you have a small lot, equate 10 feet with every inch on
your ruler. On a large lot, you might need to equate 30 feet
with every inch on your ruler.
Make a wish list of items you would like to include in your
design. Perhaps you have always wanted a pond. Do you have enough
space? What is the drainage pattern? Are your soils appropriate?
Or perhaps you want to grow fruits and vegetables. Where is
a sunny spot?
It is okay to make changes to an existing landscape. Perhaps
that tiny holly tree you planted ten years ago at the corner
of your house is now threatening to obscure your front door.
Or those lovely shrubs that were so appealing when they were
3 feet tall now cover your kitchen window and block the morning
sun. One of the delights of growing things is the element of
surprise every living thing presents. But some surprises wear
better than others. Be bold and take charge. The only caution
is if you are new to an established landscape, consider waiting
a year before making changes. During that year, study the land
and its plants. Learn what blooms when, where sun travels through
the day and the seasons, and what remains shady and cool or
cold year round. After this year of observation, you can make
educated decisions about the appropriate changes to make.
Now that you have made your list, studied your land, and become
more eager to improve your site, where do you start? There are
many things to consider when choosing a site for the construction
of something on your wish list. Walk around your piece of land
and note answers to the following questions.
- Do you have wet spots or dry areas? What are the soils
like?
- Are there any spots protected from wind or hot summer sun?
Do you have frost pockets? What are the microclimatic conditions?
- Does your land tilt? Are your slopes steep?
- What direction does your land face? Does it mostly receive
hot sun in the late afternoon?
- Where do people walk?
- Where do you have good views? Where are the views you don’t
enjoy as much?
- Do you have utilities on your land?
- Where does the rain go when it falls on your land? Do you
have any erosion problems?
Matching your wish list with the specific conditions of your
land will get you started.
“Choose the right plant for the right place” are
words to guide your plant selection process. Factors that will
influence this decision include your climatic zone (Virginia
falls in Zones 5, 6, 7, or 8 — see drawing on page 3);
specific site conditions and the plant’s hardiness; the
potential size and growth rate of a particular species; and
a plant’s shape, form, and texture. A tree that is petite
and dainty at planting time may grow into a 100-foot towering
specimen. A fast-growing tree may be weak wooded and short-lived.
As always, watch out for mail-order plants that seem too good
to be true; they probably are. Your best bet is to find a local
nursery with a knowledgeable staff and use reputable mail-order
sources for more unusual species.
Refer to the PLANT
TABLES for recommended species for this region. You must
have Adobe Acrobat reader on your system to view or download
this file.
Plants are known by both a botanical name and a common name.
The botanical name is in Latin and most often consists of two
words: the genus and the species, sometimes followed by a variety.
Frequently, the same plant has several common names. If you
don’t use the botanical name when selecting and purchasing
plants, you may be surprised later when it blooms. For example,
you might call a nursery and ask for a Burning Bush. Instead
of a shrub commonly known as Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus),
you might get there and see a perennial known as Burning Bush
(Dictamnus albus). To help you avoid this problem, the plant
tables give both a common and a botanical name.
Plantings serve many uses. Planting for a reason is a cost-effective
use of your time, labor, and money. Specific plant genus and
species appropriate for the following applications are listed
in the plant tables.
Planting a Screen or Windbreak: A screen or windbreak
planting provides privacy and protection for your yard, porch,
or garden. Plantings reduce your home’s energy consumption
by providing shade, reflecting solar rays, and providing barriers
to snow, rain, and wind. Selecting the appropriate plant is
critical to the long-term success of your screen or windbreak.
The wrong plant may overwhelm the site and be expensive to remove.
Remember to think of your neighbors and the effects of your
planting on their properties.
Planting in a Wet Spot: Sometimes it is better to accept
your site’s drainage conditions than to try to change them.
If you have a soggy spot, choose plants that thrive with wet
feet. You may even want to redirect your excess storm runoff
to this low spot, and allow the water to slowly seep into the
ground.
Planting on Slopes: Hillsides or sloped areas provide
different conditions that may affect plant selection and growth.
Soils on hillsides can be excessively well-drained, providing
little moisture to plants. Often, hardy erosion-control shrubs
are needed. A north- and east-facing slope will receive considerably
less sunlight and be much cooler than a south- and west-facing
slope which will be hot and dry.
Planting for Erosion Control: Areas that have been disturbed
need protection with fast-growing grasses, groundcovers, or
mulch.
Planting for Wildlife: Conservation actions for wildlife
habitat improvement can be incorporated in any planting. These
plantings may reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides
and enhance water and energy savings. Maintenance requirements
can be reduced if you allow the plants’ natural form to
be exhibited. Group the plantings as they are found in the wild:
an understory of shrubs and small trees, a forest floor covered
with perennials and groundcovers, all beneath a forest canopy
of tall trees. Plant a hedgerow of mixed species for a screen
or in an area that gets little use. Plants adapted to the local
climatic and soil conditions are likely to be more resistant
to disease. Chemical controls are rarely needed. As few as three
trees around your home can cut air conditioning bills in half.
Planting for Pedestrian Traffic Control: The right plant
can provide a barrier to unwanted foot traffic. Plants with
thorns, dense and twiggy shrubbery, and mounded groundcovers
can guide pedestrians to their destinations.
Cover Crops: A cover crop may be required for larger
areas or in a winter garden. These crops, referred to as green
manure, can add organic matter to the soil, improving fertility
if left in place for six months to a year. Legumes are especially
efficient because they “fix” nitrogen from the air
into the soil. After the summer garden crops have been harvested
and stalks and vines removed, lightly till the garden to prepare
a seed bed, incorporating lime and fertilizer if necessary.
Cover crops such as rye grass are usually planted in the fall
to protect soil from wind and water erosion. Broadcast the cover
crop seed, rake lightly to cover it, and then irrigate. Where
you have fall crops growing, sow cover crop seeds between rows
a month or less before the expected harvest, but not later than
November 1. A hardy species that survives the winter will resume
growth as the weather begins to warm. Do not let it go to seed.
Cover crops and green manure are usually turned under in the
spring before planting. If the crop is tall or thick, mow it
prior to tilling, especially legumes that may clog machinery.
Leave the clippings on your garden, so they also may be turned
under to help condition your soil. For large gardens, a rototiller
is the most practical way to incorporate any type of cover crop.
The crop should be turned under two to three weeks before planting
new seed.
Planting to Extend the Microclimate: Do you yearn for
a home-grown fig? Fresh rosemary in December? Or do you cherish
the rare camellia in February? With a bit of ingenuity, you
can extend your area’s climatic zone range. Create a windbreak
by planting on the leeward side of a building or wall, sheltering
more fragile and delicate plants from cold winter winds. Plant
in front of a south-facing wall or slope where the spring and
fall sun warms the soil and keeps frosts from damaging sensitive
plants.
Return to Index at top of page
Water your lawn and plantings only when needed. Use drip irrigation
whenever possible around plantings and match the irrigation
level to the specific plant’s needs. Newly transplanted
plants will require more water than established plants with
a mature root system. Avoid excessive irrigation following the
application of chemicals or fertilizers. Runoff could carry
these pollutants into nearby streams and drainageways.
Time of Day: Water deeply in the early morning hours.
The air is relatively cool and moist, reducing water loss to
evaporation. Late evening watering may encourage mildew and
disease on plants.
Length of Time: Three factors affect the length of time
required for adequate irrigation: the depth of watering, the
application rate, and the amount of water needed.
The amount of water needed varies with your soil type. To estimate
the amount of water needed, figure the depth of watering and
calculate how much water is necessary to wet the soil to the
desired depth. Divide the amount of water required in inches
by the application rate of your sprinkler to determine the number
of hours your system must operate. For example, if your system
applies .5 in./hr. and you need to apply 1 inch of water, 1
inch divided by .5 in./hr. equals 2 hours. If runoff occurs,
turn the system off for an hour or two, or even a day if necessary,
to let the water soak in. Then apply the rest of the water.
Types of Irrigation: Sprinklers are very common and
provide even coverage over large areas. However, they can be
difficult to use on slopes and often waste water because of
the large amount of evaporation that occurs. Sprinklers are
hard to control and may cause excessive runoff. Operating sprinklers
late in the day may increase plant diseases because the leaves
don’t dry quickly without sunlight.
Another type of irrigation places water directly at the plant’s
roots, reducing losses to evaporation. This type includes soaker
hoses, trickle systems, and drip irrigation. It can be used
in irregularly shaped areas, can be precisely calibrated, and
reduces weeds by watering only desirable plants. Problems can
occur if rodents damage the tubing or the tubing becomes clogged.
The system is not easily portable.
Hand watering requires no special equipment and applies water
to targeted areas. Often, though, too much water is applied
too quickly, which causes runoff and results in underwatering.
Plants can be harmed if they do not receive adequate amounts
of water slowly. Instead of roots growing deeply, they reach
toward the surface, creating a demand for frequent watering
cycles. A 5-gallon bucket with small holes in the bottom placed
next to the plant will allow water to slowly drain into the
soil, encouraging deep root growth. A garden hose turned on
very low and left for several hours is an easy way to slowly
soak a single planting.
Irrigating with Well Water: If you use well water, be
careful to not over-water and cause your well to go dry. Install
a low-pressure switch that will automatically shut down the
well if too much water is being consumed.
Return to Index at top of page
Trees are the most permanent plants we grow. Many will live
and enhance the landscape for 100 or more years if they are
given a chance. Because of the relative permanency and importance
of trees, take care to select the best tree species for each
situation. The wrong tree, or one planted in the wrong spot,
can actually detract from the overall landscape. Five to ten
years of precious tree-growing time may be lost before the mistake
is realized.
Transplant deciduous trees and shrubs in the dormant season
while there are no leaves on the plant. Early spring, before
new growth begins, is the most favorable time. Evergreens can
be planted any time the ground is not frozen, but the optimum
time is September or October. March or April is the next best
planting time. For best results, transplant younger trees.
Plants are packed for sale in three ways.
- Balled and burlapped (B&B)
- Container grown
- Bare root
Balled and burlapped and container grown plants can be transplanted
any time of the year, although the hottest, driest days of summer
should be avoided. Bare root plants generally are less expensive
and should be planted during the dormant season. If you are
unable to plant immediately after obtaining plants, prevent
the roots from drying out by watering them and storing them
out of direct sunlight in a cool place. Protect bare-root plants
by temporarily planting (heeling) them in the soil.
Trees and shrubs need a wide and shallow planting hole. For
a tree, dig a hole three times wider than the diameter of the
roots or root ball and no deeper than the roots or root ball.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root diameter for a shrub and
no deeper than the root ball. NEVER plant it deeper than it
was originally. Do not dig, loosen, or amend the soil under
the root ball. In poorly-drained, heavy soils, select a plant
that will readily adapt to the site. Set the root ball 1 to
2 inches higher than the surrounding soil. Once settling has
occurred, the plant will remain above the original soil level.
Mound the soil from the existing grade up to the soil level
of the tree or shrub where it was originally growing. In areas
where water tends to accumulate, select from the limited number
of plants that tolerate these conditions, or improve the site
with underground drainage, and regrade to alter the surface
runoff.
Once the planting hole is dug, remove the pot from container
grown plants. Insert a sharp knife about 1/3 of the way into
the root ball, make three vertical slits on the sides of the
soil, and make an “x” on the bottom. This will encourage
new root growth outward into the new soil. If the cuts are not
made, the roots will continue growing in a circle around the
plant, eventually girdling and killing it. Remove any synthetic
material, twine, tags, or wire, and roll back any cotton burlap
on balled and burlapped root balls. Do not knock the soil off
the root ball. Bare root trees should have the roots spread
out in the hole. Firmly pack the soil around the roots or root
ball. Heavily water when the hole is 3/4 full of soil to eliminate
all air pockets and to provide for better root-soil contact.
Fill the hole, building a ring of soil 2 to 3 inches high around
the outside edge of the hole to hold moisture. Fill again. Most
homeowners over-water newly planted materials. Wait until the
top inch of soil has dried before watering again. Remove broken
or crossing branches after planting, but wait one or two years
for additional pruning.
Pruning is essential for attractive, healthy trees and shrubs
and improves the quality of flowers, fruit, and foliage. The
best way to avoid difficult pruning jobs is to plan ahead; select
plants that will fit available space after the plants have matured
to their maximum size.
What Should Your Plant Look Like? The landscape of Virginia’s
formal gardens is filled with sheared hedges of hemlock, privet,
and boxwood. If this is your model and you must shear, make
the bottom of your hedge wider than the top. This will allow
the entire surface of the hedge to get sun and continue to grow.
In all other cases, a natural shape is best for plants. Thinning
a shrub involves the removal of entire branches at their junction
with another branch or the trunk. This opens the plant to sunlight
and air, encouraging growth from the center of the shrub, while
reducing the shrub’s overall size. Most plants respond
best to selective pruning. This is healthier for the plant and
gives a more natural appearance.
Why Prune a Plant? There are three reasons to prune
the plants on your land.
- Training — some pruning may be necessary at the time
of planting to shape your tree or shrub. Remove broken and
crossed branches, but avoid excessive pruning at transplanting
as it tends to retard plant growth and inhibit survival.
- Keeping them healthy — pruning is vital for removing
dead, dying, or diseased wood. Any dying branch or stub can
be an entry point or buildup chamber for insects or diseases,
which can readily spread to other parts of the plant.
- Improving flowers and fruit — pruning reduces the amount
of old wood in trees and shrubs and thus diverts energy into
the production of larger, though possibly fewer, flowers and/or
fruit. Properly timed pruning will improve the quality of
fruit, foliage, and stems.
When Should You Prune? Most pruning is done in late
winter or early spring to give the maximum time for the wounds
to heal. However, there are many exceptions. Spring blooming
shrubs should be pruned after flowering, but those that bloom
in the summer or fall should be pruned in winter. Use renewal
pruning on multiple-stemmed plants like forsythia. Young growth
produces more vigorous flowers, so each spring after flowering,
remove 1/3 of the oldest and tallest stems near ground level
to encourage development of new stems. Some shrubs such as roses
are reduced in size by pruning individual branches. Trees such
as elm, maple, birch, dogwood, and walnut bleed freely if pruned
in late winter, so prune them in early summer. Remove dead or
diseased wood at any time necessary.
Cut branches the size of your thumb or smaller with a hand
pruner. Slant the cut to promote healing and prevent the collection
of water on the cut. Remove branches over 1 inch in diameter
with a pruning saw or lopper. Use the three-cut method to prevent
the bark from tearing. Any shearing may be done with hedge shears.
Keep your tools sharp to make your work easier and to make smooth,
even cuts.
Are you wasting money on fertilizer? Gardeners frequently injure
their plants with too much or too many applications of fertilizer.
Misapplied fertilizer will wash into streams and drainageways
and encourage unwanted plant and algae growth in the water.
New plants should not be fertilized for 6 to 12 months. Trees
in the lawn area may never need fertilizing if a turf fertilizer
program is followed. A decomposed organic mulch or compost around
plantings is an excellent source of nonchemical fertilizer.
A soil test for fertility and pH level will determine the appropriate
type and application rate for fertilizing.
Fertilizers are salts, much like table salt, except that they
contain various plant nutrients. Nitrogen is important for leaf
and stem growth and provides the rich, green color in a plant.
Phosphorus provides for root and flower growth. Too much phosphorus
will contaminate the local streams and drainageways; it has
been banned from laundry detergents for this reason. Potassium
helps build plant tissue and aids the production of chlorophyll.
Fertilizing Trees: Trees that are not thriving because
of poor soils may respond to moderate applications of fertilizer
after the first hard frost in the fall. Measure the diameter
of the tree’s trunk 4 feet above the ground. For each inch
of diameter, apply 2 pounds of a 5-10-5 formula. Spread the
fertilizer over the feeder roots, located in a band around the
tree, starting about 6 to 8 feet from the trunk and extending
out 10 feet beyond the ends of the branches. Apply water liberally
to wash the fertilizer into the ground, using care that the
fertilizer does not wash away.
Trees with trunk diameters greater than 3 inches, measured
4 feet above the ground, may benefit from fertilizer placed
in holes around the tree. Make the holes with a punch bar when
the soil is moist after a period of rain or sprinkler irrigation.
For each inch of trunk diameter, mix 3 pounds of 5-10-5 formula
with equal parts of dry soil or sand, and distribute in each
hole. Water the area to encourage the fertilizer to move out
into the soil from the holes. Fill the top portion of each hole
with rich garden loam. The treatment should not have to be repeated
for several years.
Fertilizing Shrubs: Most shrubs do not require fertilizer
to thrive. Don’t fertilize shrubs that are making satisfactory
growth. A soil test will indicate when you should add nutrients
and in what amounts. However, if soil test information is not
available and your plant’s appearance warrants — its
leaves are off-green or yellowish and its twigs are short and
thin — apply about one cup of a 5-10-5 fertilizer to medium-sized
shrubs (4 to 8 feet tall) in the fall after the first hard frost.
Small shrubs (under 3 feet tall) need about half this much,
and shrubs larger then 8 feet require twice as much. Uniformly
apply the fertilizer over the root zone, starting about 6 inches
from the base of the shrub and extending out about a foot beyond
the ends of the branches. Soak the fertilizer into the ground
with a gentle spray of water to avoid burning the plant’s
roots with the fertilizer salts. Too much water too fast will
wash the fertilizer far from your shrub and send it into nearby
streams or drainageways, wasting your money and time and harming
the watershed.
If you apply fertilizer in the late summer and early fall before
the frost, your plants are likely to have a growth spurt. This
will encourage vigorous tender growth late in the season, which
may be killed by cold weather in early winter. A dry summer
followed by a rainy autumn may also promote late growth that
is tender to cold. Such conditions may also cause flowers to
open in the fall on shrubs that typically bloom in the spring.
Mulching reduces weeds, prevents erosion, moderates the soil
temperature, and helps maintain soil moisture. Many materials
are suitable for mulch. Organic materials such as shredded bark,
peat moss, leaves, pine straw, and wood chips are commonly used.
There are some artificial materials available.
When mulching, leave 4 inches clear around the trunk of larger
plants, and maintain no more than 2 to 3 inches of mulch around
your trees and shrubs. Excessive mulching provides an excellent
home for mice that will feed on and kill your plants during
the winter. Feeder roots will tend to grow in the mulch and
will be more susceptible to drought and winter freezing.
Construction Sites: Protect your landscape from damage
during construction. The following actions may result in injury
to trees and shrubs.
- Addition of soil to, or the removal of soil from, the tree’s
root zone
- Storage of fill under your trees
- Compaction of soil
- Physical damage to trunk and branches
- Change in groundwater table
The spring before construction begins, fertilize and prune.
Prior to beginning construction, erect a fence (snow fencing,
plastic netting, or plywood sheets with 2 x 4s) around the areas
to be protected. Be sure to include the outer edge of the tree
canopy — the drip line. To avoid soil compaction, don’t
allow equipment or materials to be stored within the fenced
area. Once soil compaction occurs, there is little you can do
to remedy this problem.
Animals and Equipment: To protect against damage caused
by animals or equipment, install loose-fitting guards to protect
tree trunks. Lawn mowers and weedeaters may cut your tree’s
trunk. These guards should allow for adequate air circulation.
Do not wrap trees, unless there is a serious threat of sunscalding.
Thin-barked trees planted in spring or summer into hot or paved
areas may benefit from wrapping if a white wrap is used. If
wraps must be used, remove them within one year. Wrapping trunks
increases the risk of insect, disease, and water damage.
Return to Index at top of page
These plants add color and interest to your property and may
reduce maintenance once established. They can carpet your land,
highlight and feature its assets, and screen its unattractive
spots. Hundreds of varieties with varying colors, textures,
and growth habits are available.
Groundcovers are useful to reduce the area that requires mowing
and weeding and to protect slopes from erosion. For the best
effect, groundcovers should be perennial, low maintenance, long
lasting, attractive, and interesting year-round. Avoid invasive
plants; what is fast and delightful the first year will be a
real maintenance nightmare the fifth year.
Perennials are plants that return year after year. The foliage
frequently dies back every fall and reappears in the spring.
Planted in masses, they provide color and interest to a border
or a garden. They require more maintenance than annuals to keep
them thriving year-round. They need to be weeded and mulched
and should be divided every two to three years.
Annuals are plants that flower and live for one season. They
require little care and can be grown from seed or purchased
as plants. View them as a collection of paint pots to be used
to color your garden or deck. And if you don’t like the
result, you can start fresh next year.
Vines are annuals, perennials, or groundcovers that climb.
They are valued as screens, as canopies on trellises, and as
features in a garden.
Ornamental grasses have become popular landscape plants. Requiring
low maintenance and ranging in size from a small pincushion
to tall and columnar, they provide a sturdy and steady ornamental
planting. Meadow plantings are another popular landscaping technique.
These are a mixture of prairie and meadow grasses and wildflower
seeds. Although advertised as easy and fast, a lush meadow will
take some effort to establish.
Spring planting is recommended for most groundcovers and other
herbaceous plants. If planted in the summer, water frequently.
Selecting Plants: Many of these plants require a mixture
of direct sunlight and shade. Knowing the amount of sunlight
and shade available is essential before you plant. Be sure to
identify the mature size, growth habit, and water requirements
before planting a large number of plants. (These features are
often listed on the plant’s tag at the nursery.)
Spacing: Each plant will grow at a different rate, some
slower and others faster. The list on this page estimates the
number of plants needed to cover an area with a specific spacing.
Preparation: Competition is keen for soil nutrients
and water. Soils must be well-drained yet retain enough water
and nutrients to provide for healthy growth. Add organic matter
such as peat, compost, or manure as 1/3 of the total soil mix.
To achieve this, add 2 inches of organic matter and till to
a depth of 6 inches. If tilling is not possible because of the
slope or size of the area, provide a pocket of well-mixed soil
around each plant to give it a strong start.
The most important aspect of establishing and maintaining groundcovers
and other herbaceous plants is to control weeds right after
planting. Weeds will squeeze out new plants before they have
a chance to grow.
Mulching: A 2 to 3 inch-deep mulch around new plantings
is a good defense against weeds. Mulches not completely decomposed,
such as wood shavings, will draw nitrogen from the soil. To
avoid damaging the plant, add more nitrogen to the plantings.
Fertilizing: Unless otherwise recommended by soil test
results, work a slow release 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer
into the soil before planting. Be sure to follow application
rates on the packaging. Over-fertilizing will encourage weeds,
pollute runoff, and burn the roots of your new plants.
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Producing quality lawns in Virginia can be a challenge, yet
almost everyone tries. Many alternatives to a lawn are available
today — a natural meadow, a butterfly garden, a grove of
trees with an understory of rhododendrons, a flowering groundcover,
or a stone terrace. However, sometimes only a lawn will do —
for baseball games, for croquet, for a putting green, or for
a baby crawling. So if you must plant and nurture a lawn, here
is some advice.
Geographically, Virginia is located in what is known as the
transition zone for turfgrasses. This means the climate can
be hostile to both cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass,
turf-type tall fescue) and warm-season grasses (bermudagrass,
zoysiagrass). However, with proper cultural practices and some
work, a healthy lawn can be established and maintained.
Grass may be established from seed, sprigs, plugs, or sod.
The method depends on the grass species desired, the environmental
conditions, time constraints, and financial considerations.
Be sure to use only certified seed and sod so you end up with
what you intended. The same requirements for soil preparation
apply for all methods.
Soil Test: Always begin with a soil test. This will
determine which nutrients are available in the soil and will
provide liming and fertilization recommendations.
Soil Preparation: If you are grading a new lawn area,
save the topsoil by moving it and stockpiling it for later use.
The ground should slope away from buildings. Before replacing
the topsoil and planting, let the area settle during two or
three heavy rains. Fill low spots in the yard where water collects
with additional soil. Remove debris, large rocks, and rotting
wood from the site.
Once the ground has settled, spread your stockpiled topsoil
and any additional organic matter evenly over the entire lawn
area 6 to 8 inches deep. If you don’t have enough topsoil,
mix what is available with organic material into the upper inches
of the subsoil by tilling. Work the lime and fertilizer into
the top 4 to 6 inches of soil.
Lime: Turfgrasses do not perform well in acidic soil,
and most soils in Virginia are acidic and below pH 6.2, the
ideal pH for lawns. The presence of moss is an indication of
an acidic soil. The amount of lime recommended to raise the
soil pH to 6.2 will be based on your soil test. The lime should
be tilled into the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. If a soil
test indicates low available magnesium levels, use dolomitic
limestone.
Fertilizer: When applying the fertilizer recommended
in the soil test, till in 2/3 of the amount to a depth of 4
to 6 inches. The remaining 1/3 should be applied to the surface
just prior to seeding, then lightly raked into the soil.
Weed Control: Any perennial broadleaf or grassy weeds
should be eliminated prior to planting by properly applying
a herbicide. Dispose of remaining herbicides properly and clean
up thoroughly.
When Should You Plant? You’ll have the most success
with grass seeding if you do it at certain times of the year
when the temperature, moisture, and day length are most favorable
for establishing cool-season or warm-season grasses. Cool-season
turfgrasses are best seeded in late summer; early spring seedings
are prone to damage from crabgrass invasions and summer drought.
Warm-season turfgrasses are best established from May to July.
Sod can be installed during most of the year, except when the
turf or the ground is frozen. Delay installation during the
really hot and dry periods of the summer. If sodding must be
done under these conditions, keep the turf moist and use water
to cool the soil. Thoroughly water the sod as it is laid.
Seed vs. Sod: A quality lawn containing the recommended
mixtures and species can be established with either seed or
sod. Successful, weed-free establishment is more difficult with
seed than with sod. Also, because of the time required for germination
and root growth of seed, the area is exposed to erosion. Sodding
practically eliminates such problems, an especially important
factor on steep slopes.
Seeding and Mulching: Start by preparing a smooth, firm
seedbed. Rake the seedbed to create shallow, uniform depressions
(rows) about 1/4 inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart. Divide your
seed in half; sow the first half of the seed in one direction
(north/south); sow the remaining seed in the opposite direction
(east/west). Cover the seed by raking lightly. Mulch the area
with straw or other suitable material so that approximately
50 to 75 percent of the soil surface is covered. This is normally
accomplished by spreading one and one-half to two bales of high-quality,
weed-free straw per 1,000 square feet. The light mulch does
not need to be removed after the grass begins to grow.
Sodding: You also need a smooth, firm surface for sod.
If your planting day is hot, moisten the soil to cool it before
laying sod. Premium quality, certified sod is easier to transport
and install than inferior grades. Good sod is light, does not
tear easily, and quickly puts a root system into prepared, well-watered
soil. Install sod on top of freshly tilled soil as soon as you
get it; it is perishable and should not remain in a stack longer
than 36 hours. Be sure that the sod you buy was cut the day
before, not days or weeks ago.
Lawn maintenance can be simplified if you adhere to several
recommendations in this guide.
Mowing: Mow your lawn at a height of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2
inches. Longer blades of grass provide for a more vigorous lawn
with a thicker turf and fewer pests. Adjust your mower so you
do not remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at any one mowing.
Mulching: Leave short grass clippings to decompose on
the lawn, replenishing needed nitrogen. If you don’t have
a mulching mower, compost excessive grass clippings. Midsummer
thatching will help control insects and fungus disease harbored
in lawn clippings.
Watering: Watering is seldom necessary to keep established
turf alive; however, approximately 1 inch of water per week
during the growing season is necessary to keep it attractive
and may prevent it from going dormant. Delay supplemental watering
until the grass begins to indicate a need. Water thoroughly,
wetting the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. The next watering
should be delayed until the ground is dry and the grass again
shows a need. The best rule is to water only when the lawn begins
to wilt from dryness –– when the color dulls and footprints
stay compressed for more than a few seconds. Most lawns are
watered too frequently with not enough water at each watering.
Aerating: Aerate the lawn once a year in late summer
to early fall and to a depth of 2 to 3 inches using a core aeration
machine. By removing plugs of soil, core aeration stimulates
root growth and increases soil porosity. Together these improvements
reduce runoff, increase nitrogen absorption, and reduce the
need for herbicides. Stimulating root growth keeps the plants
healthy and creates a thick lawn. The first few times you aerate,
be sure the soil is well saturated to allow the spoons or tines
to penetrate their full depth. After several years of regular
aeration, the soil can be aerated even when it is dry. Some
summers a well-aerated lawn may require no additional water.
It will also become too dense for weeds.
Liming: Apply ground agricultural limestone as needed
to maintain the pH of the soil between 6 and 6.5. After you
have corrected a pH problem, you may need supplemental applications
approximately every three years. To be sure, test your soil
every three years, and follow the recommendations.
Nutrients: The kind of grass you have determines the
best time for you to add needed nutrients, especially nitrogen.
For the cool-season grasses, such as bluegrass, fescue, and
ryegrass, apply the major portion of the year’s nitrogen
in late summer and fall. Warm-season grasses, such as zoysia
and bermudagrass, should be fertilized in late spring or early
summer. Avoid early spring fertilizing for either type of turf.
Phosphate and potash must be maintained at adequate levels for
satisfactory turf growth. Lawns and similar turf areas in Virginia
generally need from 3 to 5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square
feet each year, depending on the soils, species, and other conditions.
A little experience will enable you to determine the fertility
program that best suits your conditions.
Fertilizer Programs: Supplying the needed nutrients
is essential to maintaining a healthy lawn. Over-fertilizing
and exceeding the application rates may promote excessive top
growth and a shallow root system and are major sources of water
pollution. Be sure to keep the fertilizer off your sidewalks
and driveways as it can easily wash into a local stream or drainageway.
Return to Index at top of page
Yard and kitchen waste create a valuable and free source of
fertilizer. Composting these materials is a great way to reduce
your need for inorganic fertilizers and to improve the physical
properties of your soil. The leaves you rake, the grass you
mow, and the branches you trim are some of the ingredients you
can use to make compost. Finished compost is dark and has a
pleasant smell. It is produced when organic matter, such as
garden, lawn, and kitchen waste, is broken down by bacteria
and fungi.
Use compost throughout your landscape — till it into gardens
and flower beds, add it to the soil when renovating your lawn,
or sieve it and use it in potting soil.
Compost improves the soil and serves as food for microorganisms.
Heavy soils are generally compacted and have inadequate air
space available for good plant root growth. Water does not infiltrate
a compacted soil; it runs off and causes erosion. Compost materials
can make a heavy soil more loose and porous. Compost can also
be used as a base mulch with other mulches, such as bark, added
for aesthetic quality. It can be applied to the soil surface
around plants as a mulch or worked into the soil when preparing
rose, annual, perennial, or bulb beds and vegetable gardens.
It can be used for lawn establishment. Compost stimulates microorganisms
and provides a home for many beneficial insects, earthworms,
and other soil organisms.
A compost bin can be as plain or fancy as you want. You can
choose from numerous commercial composters or construct your
own from old pallets, concrete blocks, planks, or wire mesh.
A bin is not needed but is helpful if you intend to make compost
regularly.
Location: Place your compost bin on a well-drained site.
If well-maintained, the pile should not create offensive odors.
If constant maintenance is not possible, place the bin away
from areas where it may disturb your neighbors.
Construction: Bins should be constructed in a size ranging
from 3 feet deep, wide, and long to 5 feet deep, wide, and long.
If it is any larger, you won’t retain sufficient heat throughout
the pile. If smaller, it will be difficult to maintain enough
aeration to keep it from stinking. You may prefer to set up
a series of bins, one for fresh refuse, one for an active composting
pile, and one for storing the finished compost.
Making Compost: Compost is easy to make. Just follow
the recipe. Like making chicken soup, once you get the principles
down, you can adjust the recipe based on the ingredients on
hand.
- Put down a layer of coarse plant material 3 to 6 inches
thick, such as small twigs, chopped corn stalks, or a wooden
pallet.
- Next, add 8 to 10 inches of dry organic wastes (leaves or
vegetable materials).
- Provide nitrogen for compost-promoting microorganisms by
adding 2 to 3 inches of fresh grass clippings or fresh manure.
If fresh nitrogen sources are unavailable, add about 1/3 cup
synthetic fertilizer (36-0-0) per 25 square feet of surface
area.
- If your materials are clean, add soil between each layer
to introduce microorganisms into the pile.
- Moisten the pile as you add leaves and other dry material.
- Mix the pile together, and shape it so the center is lower
than the sides to help water flow into the pile. Keep the
pile moist, but not soaking wet. Within a few days the pile
should heat up as the decomposition process begins. If the
pile begins to emit an odor, it is not getting enough air
into its center. Add coarse material and stir the pile with
a pitchfork.
How Long Do You Need to Wait? In warm weather you should
have compost in five months. It will take a bit longer if the
weather is cool or dry.
Maintaining and Using Compost: Once a month, turn your
compost pile. Use a pitchfork and mix the pile, adding new material
as it is available. To kill weed seeds, pests, eggs, and diseases,
the pile should reach a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Compost can be used in potting mixtures and gardens, for new
lawns, and around landscape plantings. Spread 2 inches of compost
on your garden every year, and till it to a depth of 4 to 6
inches. If you do not have enough compost for the entire garden,
use what you have when you transplant seedlings. Raised gardens
with intensively grown plantings can greatly benefit from nutrient-rich
compost. Don’t use compost on established lawns. It may
cause the thatch to build up or be a source of disease.
Return to Index at top of page
Your home garden is an excellent source of fresh vegetables,
including exotic and gourmet varieties unavailable at the local
supermarket. It is a place to teach your children about the
earth and growing things, and a place to relax and revel in
the sheer pleasure of watching delicious things grow.
A fertile, well-drained loam is best for your vegetable garden.
Improve infertile, sandy soils or heavy clay by adding organic
mulches, household compost, and plant residues. Manure may be
used to supply nutrients and organic matter, but it usually
is expensive and difficult to obtain and may contain many weed
seeds. Dig in organic matter to let it compost with your soil.
Before seeding, work the surface to develop a fine crumb texture
ideal for planting and germination.
Have your home garden soil tested every three years. Most vegetables
grow best under slightly acid conditions, with a pH of 6.3 to
6.5. If your soil is strongly acid with a pH of 5.5 or lower,
add ground limestone to make it more alkaline. If the soil analysis
indicates that magnesium is low, apply dolomitic lime. Have
another soil test conducted in six months to determine the effectiveness
of your liming program.
Vegetable gardens can grow anywhere there is a sunny spot.
The easiest site to prepare is a well-drained flat site, but
sloping sites can be modified with terraced walls, and a wet
site can be modified with raised beds. Tucked into flower gardens,
vegetables may prove to be the most intriguing and attractive
plants. They can be grown in small areas and containers on your
deck or patio. Herbs can also be grown in pots near windows
year round.
Purchasing and Storing Seeds: For best results, purchase
seeds from a reliable seed source. These seeds are grown under
controlled conditions and will produce large yields of high-quality
vegetables, true to their label. Many vegetables cross-pollinate
rather readily, so if seeds are saved from the home garden,
the next crop may be less productive and of poor quality. Also,
many of the newer and best varieties are hybrids, which revert
back to less desirable forms if the seed is saved.
Certain plants are better suited if you want to save seeds
from your garden. Except for hybrid varieties, you will have
good results with seeds saved from beans, peas, and okra, and
a bit less reliability with seeds from eggplant, pepper, and
tomato because these vegetables are generally self-pollinated.
Seeds may also be saved from standard varieties of cucumber,
cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash, and watermelon if only one variety
of each is grown in the garden.
Although vegetable seeds gradually lose their viability, most
types may be kept for several years and will still germinate
and produce satisfactory crops. Saving extra seeds in an airtight
tin, glass, or plastic container in the refrigerator or deep
freeze will save you money. Seeds are likely to deteriorate
quite rapidly if held under warm, humid conditions.
Arranging Crops and Rows: Plant perennials such as asparagus
and rhubarb along one side of your garden so they will not interfere
with soil preparation for annual crops. Plant early season and
quick-maturing crops together to facilitate the sowing of late
summer and fall crops. The rows in the garden should run across
the slope to reduce the possibility of erosion. There seems
to be no significant benefit in terms of exposure to the sun
from running the rows in a north and south direction as is sometimes
suggested.
Determining Planting Distances and Depths: The rows
in the garden should be spaced as close together as possible
to get the highest yields, and yet far enough apart to allow
space for the plants to grow and room for you to walk. If you
use power equipment, make sure to leave enough room for it to
pass between your rows. Onions, leeks, and root crops like carrots
may be planted in double rows or in beds several rows wide to
secure higher yields.
Many gardeners plant seeds too deep. Determine the appropriate
depth by the seed’s size and the soil’s ability to
hold moisture. Seeds need to be moist to germinate, so plant
deeper in sandy soils and in any soil type during the drier
summer months. In good, loamy soil, most vegetable seeds should
be covered to a depth of about five times their largest diameter.
Firm the soil along the row after you plant. If the soil is
clayey, plant the seeds shallower and cover with sand or vermiculite
to conserve moisture.
Seeding and Thinning Seedlings: To ensure a full stand
of plants and a bountiful yield of vegetables, sow one and one-half
to two times more seeds than needed. When the seedlings are
several inches tall, thin them to the recommended spacing. Don’t
hesitate to thin your rows. Crowded plants are more susceptible
to diseases and will not produce as large a crop of high-quality
vegetables.
Fine seeded crops that produce relatively small plants like
beet, leek, carrot, kohlrabi, radish, swiss chard, and turnip
may be scattered thinly in a band about 4 inches wide. The young
seedlings may be thinned to a double row or band of scattered
plants to secure optimum yields. Large seeds like beans and
corn may be dropped about one and one-half times as close together
as the suggested distance between plants and thinned later to
the desired spacing.
Secure an early crop of broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant,
cantaloupe, pepper, and tomato by setting young seedlings in
the garden rather than planting seeds. For the late summer and
fall crop of these vegetables, plant several seeds per spot
at the desired spacing of 15 to 18 inches apart, and thin later
to one plant at each location. Follow the same method for pumpkin
and squash with a 24 to 30 inch space between plants. Scatter
extra seeds in the row and transplant the resulting seedlings
to other locations in the garden after early crops have been
harvested or where seeds fail to germinate.
Transplanting Seedling Vegetable Plants: Select sturdy
seedling vegetable plants with dark green color. Avoid tall,
spindly, light green, or yellow plants. Set seedling plants
about 1 inch lower than they grew in the flat or peat pot. If
you plant the seedlings in their peat pots, be sure to keep
them moist, and remove any portion of the pot above the garden
surface. When peat pots have been allowed to become dry and
hard, root growth through them will be slowed. Place tomato
plants in a deeper hole or trench and cover with 3 inches of
soil, leaving the plant’s top 5 or 6 inches exposed. Tomato
plants will sprout roots along the buried part of the stem.
Promote rapid growth of your seedlings with additional nutrients.
Pour 1 cup of water mixed with a soluble fertilizer around each
plant when it is initially planted. Repeat this every day for
about four days.
Extending Your Harvest: As early crops are harvested,
continue to make new plantings to provide fresh vegetables during
the late summer and fall.
Make furrows for planting seeds in the fall garden without
plowing or rototilling if the soil is fertile and easily worked.
Cover the seeds about twice as deep as you did in the spring
and keep the soil moist. To ensure germination of seeds, apply
a gentle spray of water along the row after the seeds are planted.
Repeat daily to maintain the soil moisture until the young plants
are well established and making rapid growth.
Keeping your garden free of weeds and pests is a job that is
made much easier if you work frequently in your garden.
Weed Control: Weeds must be controlled so they don’t
compete with your vegetables for food and water. Cultivate or
hand weed your garden as frequently as needed to destroy all
weeds when they are small. Don’t dig too deep and damage
the shallow roots of your vegetable crops.
Herbicides are not a practical method for controlling weeds
in your home garden. Plants are close together, and the risk
that the herbicide will kill your vegetables in addition to
the weeds is too great.
Mulch: An organic mulch will conserve soil moisture,
help to control weeds, and improve the soil. Leaf mulch is suited
to larger crops and vines and may be applied when the plants
are 8 to 12 inches tall. Beware of using sawdust or lawn clippings
on your garden. The biologic process that breaks them down consumes
large amounts of nitrogen and may cause a sudden nitrogen shortage.
Sawdust or lawn clippings from the inside of a pile also may
go through anaerobic decomposition and become very acid, with
a pH of about 3 and a pungent odor. Such material is very toxic
to plants.
Black plastic, kraft paper, or newspapers may be used as a
mulch to reduce the loss of soil moisture by evaporation. These
mulches prevent weed growth, especially grass-type weeds, which
spread by rhizomes. Crops may be planted in rows between strips
of mulch, or plants like cabbage, cucumber, or tomato may be
set in holes punched through the plastic or paper. Be sure to
spread and work into the soil an adequate amount of fertilizer
before applying the plastic or paper. Vine crops, such as cantaloupe
and summer squash, grow especially well with this type of mulch.
Weeds that grow up through the mulch should be pulled when
they are about 2 inches tall, when the soil is moist after a
rain or irrigation. Do not cultivate or hoe a mulched garden
as this would destroy the effectiveness of the mulch and bring
weed seeds near the surface where they will germinate.
Remove plant residue from your garden after harvesting if you
intend to use the garden again. Plant material can harbor insects
and diseases.
Fertilizing: Most vegetables require ample amounts of
fertilizer to promote vigorous growth. A soil test is a good
way to determine the fertility of your soil and get recommendations
for its improvement. If no special recommendations are given,
spread 4 pounds of 5-10-15 or 5-10-10 per 100 feet of row, and
till into the soil. On poor soils, make an additional application
of 1 pound of 10-10-10 per 100 feet of row. Place the extra
application in the furrow at the time the seeds are planted.
Mix the fertilizer with the soil and cover with about 2 inches
of soil before sowing the seeds to avoid burning the seedling
roots when germination occurs. Slow-release fertilizers are
recommended for use during most of the growing season, except
early in the growing season when quick-release fertilizers will
make nutrients immediately available to growing plants.
A small amount of additional fertilizer containing nitrogen
applied between the rows about a month after growth starts will
be beneficial for most vegetables. This is particularly true
for corn and leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cabbage,
celery, lettuce, and spinach. Scatter 1 pound of 10-10-10 or
2 pounds of 5-10-5 fertilizer per 100 feet of row, and scratch
into the top inch of soil with a rake. Repeat the light application
whenever the plants are not making satisfactory growth or do
not have the desired green color.
Watering: Vegetables require about 1 inch of water each
week from rain or irrigation to promote maximum growth and yields.
If weather conditions are hot and dry, a garden may need more
water, and if conditions are cool and humid, water may not be
needed at all. Conserve moisture by controlling weeds and using
mulch. Don’t wait for signs of wilting to water; however,
the soil should be moderately dry before water is applied.
Pests and Diseases: The best way to control pests and
diseases is to prevent them. Observe your garden regularly,
and be aware of any changes. Select plant varieties that are
resistant to common diseases and pests, and purchase disease-
and insect-free seed from reputable growers. Be sure to plant
properly, and thin seedlings to reduce overcrowding. Keep down
the weeds, and remove refuse that might harbor pests and diseases.
Avoid watering in the evening or walking through the garden
when foliage is wet from dew, rain, or irrigation. Night watering
may invite fungus growth on damp foliage, and brushing against
wet foliage may damage it. Refer to the chapter CONTROLLING
PESTS for additional ways to control pests in your garden.
Harvest your vegetables as soon as they reach edible size or
ripeness. Don’t waste them unless you hope to win the biggest
zucchini prize at the local fair. Vegetables left too long in
the garden don’t fare any better than those left in the
back of the refrigerator.
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