Published: August 29, 2007 03:23 pm      

A Time to Sow

A gardener's guide to proper planting

As the weather gets nicer and there are more hours of daylight, people are anxious to start planting and landscaping their yards, but when is a good time to actually start this process?

Planting may begin "anytime after the ground has thawed out, says Kurt Enneking, Aspen Landscape & Patio, Batesville, landscape architect. Around the middle of March is "the best time for planting evergreens like spruce."

Although pansies can withstand frost and cooler temperatures, while also adding a touch of color to the landscape, all other summer annuals should be planted after Mother's Day or when there is no longer a threat of frost, notes Enneking.

He mentions some common mistakes that are made when landscaping. Over-mulching tends to be a common error made by novice gardeners.

"If there is over two or two-and-a-half inches from previous mulching, remove the old mulch and start from scratch."

Enneking notes that a thick layer of mulch can be a place for pests and insects to hide, and can form a layer that water cannot get through, thus tying up nutrients."

The landscape architect cautions against mowing grass too short, and recommends keeping it at three inches. According to Enneking, this length is the best way to establish healthy turf and stop weeds.

He advises gardeners to use a light nitrogen fertilizer (indicted by a low number on the packaging) in the spring.

Jerry Mayhugh, Mayhugh's Landscaping and Lawn Service owner, Greensburg, suggests doing a soil sample and sending it in before fertilizer is used. Premier (Ag Co-op Inc.) or Kova (Fertilizer Inc.) will send the sample to Purdue for testing, and the results will indicate what kind of lawn care is needed.

What kind of ground cover is best? Well, that depends on each individual's preference. Mayhugh indicates, "I like rock because once it's down, it's down."

Enneking recommends a hardwood bark mulch, making sure it is an all bark product or all bark cyprus, which is an orange color.

"Don't put plastic beneath it because it doesn't allow air exchange. Use a landscape fabric, instead," he adds.

Jerry Prickel, J. P. Landscaping, Inc., Batesville, owner, also prefers mulch because it looks more natural and is better for plants and shrubs, especially flowers, (which) won't do as well with a rock base. He likes to have the flower beds prepped and mulched before the perennials start to pop up.

"The warmer the ground gets, the quicker your plants will come up," he said.

What are the most popular plants?

"People want quick color and early bloomers," Prickel declares. "Day lilies are popular and come in hundreds of varieties and colors .... yellow and orange, lavenders and red. Carpet roses spread out and give great color all summer long ... Knockout roses are a little taller and showier," he said. "And they don't require the care of other roses."

For sunny areas, Enneking is in favor of maple, tulip poplar, oak and crab apple trees. He likes lilacs and burning bush, but warns that both get really large so they need room. Winter berry holly is beautiful, especially in the winter.

He suggests avoiding ash trees because several areas of the state are already quarantined because of the emerald ash borer, a wood-boring beetle that can kill them.

Enneking also prefers Aristocrat pear over Bradford pear trees because they are "more strongly branched." Redbud and dogwood trees as well as azaleas and rhododendrons are his choices for shady areas.