When we take a plant, shrub or tree home, of course we don’t want it to die. But, we not only want success, we want “WOW, It’s beautiful”. Too often we don’t get to the WOW factor and the reasons usually lie in improper planting. The following is the long and the short of “How to plant in the tough local soil found in upstate SC and NE Georgia”. This is based on experience, and lots of input from other nurserymen, extension agents, and experienced do-it- yourselfers over the past 20 years.

Below I will list the factors (The short of it) followed by the reasons (The long of it) Click HERE for an illustration.

The Short:

  1. The hole needs to be broad…2-3 times the diameter of the pot.
  2. The hole needs to be shallow…Only as deep as the pot.
  3. Add soil amender (LIVING SOIL®) to lighten the soil to allow air and moisture penetration. Mix the amender into the existing native soil.
  4. Not all soil amenders are ideal for clay soil. See below.
  5. Add water while back filling hole.
  6. Plant the root ball high. A couple inches above grade for small pots, higher for big ones.
  7. Cover with 3” mulch for moisture retention.

The long:
For total success when planting, a deep understanding of the list above will assure maximum results….reduced transplant shock, faster rooting, resistance to problems such as insects, disease and drought, faster growth and more blooms.

  1. Our local soil is mostly compacted clay. In order for roots to spread quickly, we must loosen the soil around the immature young plant. We suggest digging the hole 3 times the width of the container.  A 3 gallon plant should have a 24” to 30” wide hole.  A wide hole allows for fast root development and allows moisture and nutrients to reach the plant.
  2. Because the soil is so dense and compacted, roots on most landscape plants cannot go deep in the soil. The moisture, air and nutrients are near the surface, so that’s where the roots grow. Digging too deep is the most common mistake we make. When the hole is too deep, we tend to bury the plant or it sinks and settles too deep and goes into transplant shock. Not enough air and water standing in the compacted clay that cannot drain will rot the roots very quickly. The hole should be only as deep as the container.
  3. While our soil is tough and compacted, it does retain moisture very well once saturated. We need to use this to our advantage. (A hole dug into clay and filled with water will take a long time to drain. Also, quantity of clay allowed to become saturated will remain moist for a long period even in our warm summer temperature). Add soil amender that lightens our heavy soil and allows air and moisture to pass through it. Do not use soil amenders that actually make our soil heavier. See #4 below.
  4. We developed a product, “LIVING SOIL®”, specifically for use with our local soil. It specifically lightens and loosens the soil, improves the Ph, and takes advantage of the moisture retaining property of the existing soil. LIVING SOIL® also contains sea kelp extract, important B vitamins, Humic acids, and beneficial bacteria and organisms commonly called miccorhizae. Miccorhizae is the “living” element of LIVING SOIL®. These fungi organisms permanently attach themselves to the plants root systems and improve uptake of moisture and nutrients. This effect reduces transplant shock, improves drought tolerance and accelerates plant growth. Mix the amender with the native soil at the recommended rate.

We have found that adding heavy soil amenders such as bagged cow manure alone, while adding black loam does not lighten the clay soil and the result is actually a heavier soil that does not breathe, drain or allow nutrients to penetrate. We also do not suggest adding sand. The sand acts like cement and hardens the soil.

  1. Dig the proper hole, remove all the soil and place around the sides and mix in the amender, place the plant into the empty hole making sure it’s not too deep, then place the garden hose into the hole and fill with water. (You will see how poorly the soil drains!). After the hole is full and root ball is totally saturated, back fill the hole with the amended native soil. The water will activate all the ingredients in the amender, saturate the soil, thus reducing transplant shock. The watering from the top will never better the watering from the bottom.
  2. Do not plant the root ball too deep! The root ball should be at least a couple inches above the existing grade or soil line. (Big trees are often planted 4-6” above grade). No soil goes on top of the root ball. Do not plant into a “volcano” looking hole. The poor drainage of our soil will suffocate a plant installed too deeply. Plants such as azalea, dogwood, magnolia, gardenia, and others will perform poorly if too deep. Planting flush or to deeply are the most common mistakes we make in our area.
  3. Mulch is cosmetically appealing, but more importantly, it will insulate the new planting. This means it cools the roots in the summer and keeps them warmer in the winter. Plus, our now properly planted, well amended plant needs to retain moisture and mulch does that as well. Our area is blessed with plenty of lumber mills and bark mulches are relatively low cost. (We suggest bark mulches, not wood mulches). Hardwood bark is most popular. Pine bark, Pine needles, and river stone are also common mulches. Apply bark at least 3” deep and needles 6” deep. Expect both to settle. River stone of 2-3” diameter should be at least one layer deep and ideally two layers.