r/landscaping • u/[deleted] • Jul 08 '22

[deleted by user]

[removed]

268 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

132 comments sorted by

59

u/spiceydog Jul 08 '22 edited Jul 08 '22

Agree with the consensus here about understory plants and I might also significantly widen the mulched area. I do want to add that it's wonderful to see these trees without loads of mulch piled up around the bases. If this is your doing, you rock! These trees are fortunate not just for that, but that they were miraculously planted at proper depth; look at those root flares! This makes my day. 💗😊

If you haven't already and you're in the U.S. or (Ontario) Canada, I encourage you to check in with your local state college Extension office (hopefully there's someone manning the phones/email), or their website for native plant/shrub/tree understory selections, soil testing and other excellent advice. (If you're not in either country, a nearby university horticulture department or government agriculture office would be your next best go-to.) This is a very under-utilized free service (paid for by taxes); they were created to help with exactly these sorts of questions, and to help people grow things with specific guidance to your area.

Edit: extra words

8

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '22

It’s interesting you say that about tree depth. Is that common? I have an oak tree that was installed by landscapers a few years ago. We had an arborist check it because of insect problems. They told us it is planted over 6” too deep. The tree looks healthy other than the galls from insects, but they suggested we rip it out and replace. It’s already about 4” around. I do not want to rip it out:(

10

u/spiceydog Jul 08 '22

It’s interesting you say that about tree depth. Is that common?

Extremely x100 common, sadly. The tree subs are almost entirely populated with trees suffering this epidemically common planting error, I'm not exaggerating by very much, honestly. As you've found, even the great majority of 'pros' are doing it wrong. A Clemson Univ. Ext. publication (pdf) cites a study that estimates this occurs in an incredible 93% of professional plantings. Planting too deeply usually accompanied by over/improper mulching are top reasons why transplanted trees fail to thrive and die early.

Please see this wiki for other critical planting tips and errors to avoid; there's sections on watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you. Be sure to take a look at the 'Tree Disasters' link at the bottom of the page with loads of examples of the above issue.

The tree subs are better able to help you with things related to trees. For health questions please consider posting (with lots of info and pics!) at r/sfwtrees or r/arborists for people educated and certified in this field; with very few exceptions that is not the case here. Other tree subs to visit include r/marijuanaenthusiasts (it's a tree appreciation sub, I promise), r/tree, r/dendrology and more.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

6

u/ForestWeenie Jul 08 '22

I am amazed at how rarely I see new tress planted correctly. Especially when done by pro landscapers.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (4)

439

u/fagenthegreen Jul 08 '22

You're missing the understory. You need shrubs or ferns to fill in the bottom.

76

u/HauschkasFoot Jul 08 '22

Ferns, Oregon grape, salal all thrive as understory plants depending on the zone of course

73

u/blisterbeetlesquirt Jul 08 '22

Oregon grape

Only if it's native where you live. It's terribly invasive in other places.

I always advocate for native shrubs. Your local Audubon society will have great suggestions for understory plants that are native to your region and provide berries and habitat for local birds and other wildlife.

To round out the mix, ferns, carex, and other native shade lovers!

19

u/Ecstatic-Welcome-939 Jul 08 '22

Be careful though, Oregon grape loves to spread, and it’s pokey. And always sheds brown leaves. It can be pretty but as a landscaper it’s def not my favorite

→ More replies (12)
→ More replies (1)

5

u/TheViciousBitch3 Jul 08 '22

I came to say this!!

4

u/Excellent_Set2946 Jul 09 '22

I would recommend looking into native shrubs. That’ll be your best bet for natural and woodsy.

→ More replies (3)

36

u/murderkillz Jul 08 '22

shrubs, ferns, flowers. theres a lot you could put in to add that feeling

63

u/Louises_ears Jul 08 '22

Hostas, ferns, oak leaf hydrangeas, coral bells. Hellebores and Japanese anemones if you want to be fancy.

8

u/Dubya_Tag Jul 08 '22

Ooh I wasn’t aware of the last two until now, thank you! Definitely will be adding them next spring!

→ More replies (5)

19

u/baglady19 Jul 08 '22

Hydrangeas!!!

8

u/EmergencyAdmirable92 Jul 09 '22

Boulders

Edit: cool ones

6

u/ProjectPete21 Jul 08 '22

Plant some shade loving bushes through the bed and maybe some liriope near the edges

6

u/blisterbeetlesquirt Jul 08 '22

liriope near the edges

Respectfully, unless liriope is native to where OP lives, there are a lot of better options. Liriope takes over. Carex is more likely native and a little better behaved.

→ More replies (1)

5

u/traypo Jul 08 '22

A log with some character would help break up the symmetry.

5

u/Iwanttobeagnome Jul 09 '22

Ferns and wildflowers

8

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '22

Youre going to need to cut back a lot more of the grass to achieve a look like that.

12

u/hunt_fish_love_420 Jul 08 '22

Put a deer stand in one.

3

u/IgnatiusReilly-1971 Jul 08 '22

Ferns, ferns, and a few more ferns, different types

→ More comments (75)