Text Box: depth. Cut and remove wire, burlap, rope, straps and ties from the top half of the root ball. Fill in the hole with the soil from digging. If the soil is very heavy or sandy, amend with compost or peat moss. Firm the soil, but don’t compact it. Add water when the hole is half full and then again when the planting is complete. Make a donut-shaped dam of soil around the outer edge of the planting hole to retain water around the plant. Water thoroughly to saturate the entire root ball and backfill area. Water daily for a few days, then every other day for two weeks. After that provide an inch of water twice a week, and then once a week until late fall. Mulch should be added to keep the soil moist and the soil temperature constant. Spread mulch evenly 2-3” deep over the entire root ball and outwards at least to the drip line of the plant. Don’t pile the mulch up around the trunk of the tree. This will eventually lead to the death of the tree. It should be 4” from the trunk. Renew the mulch slightly each year, but never exceed 4 inch depth. Do not fertilize or prune the first year after planting. After that, apply a slow-release fertilizer in spring or summer and prune Text Box: November Newsletter Text Box: Monthly To-Do List · Complete removal of fallen leaves and debris · Cut back perennials to 4-5”, but leave ornamental grasses for winter interest · Mulch boxwood and broad-leaved evergreens before ground freezes · Mulch flower beds to keep soil temperature stable and prevent winter injury · Provide burlap windbreaks for boxwood and broad-leaved evergreens · Continue to plant deciduous trees and shrubs until the ground freezes · Fertilize trees and shrubs before the ground freezes so that food is available Text Box: · Complete pruning of late-blooming trees and shrubs · Prune early spring-flowering shrubs only to remove diseased or damaged branches Feature Article: Planting and Mulching Trees and Shrubs After selecting and transporting healthy trees and shrubs for a job site it is important that you provide appropriate care throughout the planting and mulching process. First, find the trunk flare on your tree or shrub. This is the base of the trunk which widens out at the interface with the uppermost roots. If there is potting medium on top of the roots, carefully remove it to expose the trunk flare. Measure the depth and diameter of the root ball now. When digging the planting hole, dig only as deep as the root ball is. The width of the hold should be 2-3 times as wide as the diameter of the root ball. This will encourage rapid root growth. Place the plant in the center of the hole and check to make sure it is at the proper Text Box: Nursery Services Inc. Text Box: Tree of the Month: Chamaecyparis obtuse ‘Gracilis Filicoides’: Fernspray Cypress – 25’ height. Flat fern like foliage, profuse grower. Shrub of the Month: Juniperus horizontalis ‘Bar Harbor’: Bar Harbor Juniper – 8-10” height, 5-6’ spread. Low growing blue green turning purple in winter. Perennial of the Month: Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’: Variegated Maiden Grass. 5-6’ height. Upright, blooms red in summer and has a strongly arching growth that gives it a feathery look. From a distance it is light and silvery. Strong specimen plant on its own or very striking in group planting. Quote: I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border. I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error. ~Sara Stein