Extreme summers and cold winters provide a definite challenge for the Mid-South gardener.
At Trees by Touliatos, we strive to help you meet these challenges and make your garden a success. We believe that an informed customer can succeed at cultivating these beautiful plants and shrubs right in their own gardens. Use our plant guide below for tips and caring instructions.
- Japanese Maple Chart
- Crape Myrtle Chart
- Native Perennial Recommendations
- Exotic Perennial Recommendations
- Shrubs Chart
- Bamboo Handout
- Oak Handout
- Aquatic Plant Info
Trees by Touliatos cares about your plants and wants you to succeed! If we planted your plants, they were amended, fertilized, mulched, and if needed, staked. If you installed them yourself I hope you followed our How to Plant sheet. A proper installation is 90% of what it takes to grow a beautiful plant. The last 10% is proper post-planting care.
Watering is the most important care you can give your new plants. As a general rule, plants need one (1) inch of water per week during the growing season. In Memphis, this is generally from April-October. (Assuming there is no rainfall, this would be 1 or 2 waterings per week.)
- Water slowly to ensure that water soaks into the ground.
- One long and thorough watering is preferable to multiple brief waterings.
- Deep watering leads to deep rooting which makes plants more cold and drought tolerant.
- Incorrect watering is the number-one killer of plants.
- There is no substitute for raking the mulch back and feeding the soil.
- If the soil is dry, the plants need water.
- If the soil is wet, plants DO NOT need water.
- Overheated plants wilt just like dry plants! FEEL THE SOIL!
Correct feeding can transform or ruin your new planting. If we planted your material they were fed with time-release fertilizer tablets or REAL cow manure. You should feed your planting for the first time in the spring of six months after their installation (whichever comes first).
- Feed on February 15 and April 15 each following year.
- Apply about 1 pound of time-release fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed area (about like you would feeding chickens or peppering a steak.)
- Plant food should be 14-7-7 (or similar) granular fertilizer. The numbers represent the amount of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in the fertilizer.
- Never use 13-13-13 or similar equally balanced fertilizer (it will allow potassium to accumulate in the soil).
- Never use any fertilizer which is not time-release. (It can burn your plants if not properly applied.)
- Cheap/inexpensive fertilizer is rarely a bargain.
Other Important Items
The stakes and guy wire used to support your tree should be checked periodically to ensure that they don't girdle your tree. They may be removed after the first growing season. If you feel your tree is not stable call the office 901-346-8065.
- Pruning, shaping and shearing can be done to improve the natural form of the plant. Pruning can generally be done at any time of the year. Call the office if you have any questions 901-346-8065.
- Pest maintenance is generally not a problem, but if you have a problem, bring in a sample of the problem foliage, or insect, or even a photo of the situation and we will try to give you advice!
- We generally recommend that landscape clients have us out for a consultation every year or two to make recommendations about general maintenance, the way the garden is developing, and any problem areas. There is a fee for this service, but it is well worth it when you consider the investment you have already made. Nov.-Feb. and July-Sept. are the best times for this service. Call us 901-346-8065.
Weeds are the unseen potential problem of all landscapes. Sometimes you have none, sometimes you have a few, and sometimes you are overwhelmed!
- THE WEEDS DID NOT COME FROM THE MULCH! Weed seed can lay dormant for many years and when the conditions are right (like a freshly tilled bed) they germinate and grow. (Seeds found in the pyramids after 1,000 years grew!)
Seeds are invisible and it is impossible to look at a bed and know if it is full of weed seed!
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS
1. We want to help CALL US NOW! 901-346-8065.
2. Bring in a sample of your problem weed. Advice is free!
The problems, cures, and chemicals for maintaining most gardens are simple and easy to use.
- New beds should be applied with a pre-emergent (seed-killer) herbicide on Feb. 15 and Sept. 15 for two growing seasons. We like Eptam because it helps control nutgrass. As long as you keep it dry it will not go bad, so call us early to buy in bulk. 901-346-8065
- Weeds which emerge should be carefully applied with Roundup herbicide rather then pulling them. (Pulling weeds is not successful, time consuming, and frankly, not fun!) Roundup works by being absorbed through the leaves of the plant and it moves through the plant's vascular system to the roots. It then kills the plant, roots and all! It does not sterilize the soil! Pure Roundup is is expensive; don't be fooled by pre-mixed or concentrates; buy pure Roundup! We sell 1 gallon and 2.5 gallon containers of pure Roundup. Call us to order 901-346-8065.
- We apply all of our liquids through a sprayer which is worn on our backs (like a scuba tank).
- It has a hand-held wand which is very accurate and allows you to precisely target those culprit weeds. We will order you a sprayer if you want one, call us at 901-346-8065.
- Roundup will kill anything which is green and growing. It is not absorbed through tree bark unless it is green, and it does not mysteriously jump to other plants. You will need to watch wind drift and the sprayers fine particle mist (test your sprayer on dry concrete to get the feel of it). You can also use a hand-held cardboard shield to protect a plant while you zap a weed!
- There are many other chemicals which will kill problem weeds and don't hurt your plants!
Examples of what these other chemicals can do:
- Kill Bermuda grass in your flower beds without hurting your plants!
- Kill nut grass in your flower beds without hurting your plants!
- Kill nut grass in your lawn without hurting your grass!