Should I plant short or tall ones?

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Sugarplum1 Weatherford, TX Oct 20, 2006

I'm going to pick up some Nellie Stevens Hollies today, for screening between our backyard, and the neighbors. I'm tempted to go with the larger shrubs that are 6 feet tall already. But, I'm sure it will be easier to plant the smaller ones, and they will probably have better chance of surviving transplant than the big ones, don't you think? I really can't wait to get them planted and grown already! I really want the tall ones, but don't want to risk a fair amount of money, if they are likely to fail. I'm fairly new at gardening. What would you do?

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levilyla Baltimore, MD(Zone 7a) Oct 20, 2006

This is a good time to plant but not TRANSplant. I would go for the larger ones if they are already dug and B & B ...Naturally where you live may be different from Baltimore.

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undercover_owl Oregon City, OR(Zone 8b) Oct 20, 2006

6 feet tall is risky to transplant. Especially if you are inexperienced at transplanting.
I'm pretty well experienced at transplanting trees and shrubs, but even I wouldn't be confident that I could successfully transplant a 6' holly.
You want the things to survive, especially since you are paying money for them.
Go for a smaller one, and get as many roots as you can.

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Sugarplum1 Weatherford, TX Oct 20, 2006

Thanks for the replies. I think I confused things. The shrubs are at a nursery in pots, so I guess I'm not TRANS-planting them, but planting them? Sorry. Should I amend the soil in any way? Some say to just use the native soil, and others say to amend the soil. Some of the tags I've read on other plants mention using root stimulator after planting them, also.

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levilyla Baltimore, MD(Zone 7a) Oct 21, 2006

I would amend the soil and put in some cottonseed meal and kelp meal.

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undercover_owl Oregon City, OR(Zone 8b) Oct 21, 2006

Oh! Well in that case, plant the big ones!

Soil amendment is generally not a good idea. There are problems with amending the soil: One part of the soil might retain moisture more than the rest, so the tree either could be sitting in too wet or too dry soil. Another scenario is that the roots won't venture beyond the hole that you planted it in.
What I do, (and nobody has told me I shouldn't), is dig a super deep hole, put mulch and compost at the very bottom, put some regular dirt over that. Then plant the tree. The roots shouldn't touch the compost/mulch. Theoretically, by the time the roots venture there, the compost will be bio-degraded, and will spice up the soil a bit, but not too drastically.

A huge tree-planting tip: do not plant a tree/shrub too deep. The first roots should be just barely below ground level.

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Sugarplum1 Weatherford, TX Oct 21, 2006

Thanks so much! I bought 2 six-footers today. I'm so excited! I can't wait to get them in the ground.

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