Right Plant, Right Place

Even under the harshest of conditions, you can have a flowerbed that beautifies your landscape. All it takes is the right plant for the right place. With a little bit of regular care, you'll have color and texture to enjoy for the whole season.

Produced by the Department of Communications at Kansas State University. For more information, visit our website at: http://www.kansasgreenyards.org

Transcript:
Right Plant, Right Place

A great example of right plant, right place is this tree behind me. This tulip tree at maturity will be about sixty feet tall, and have a canopy that is approximately thirty feet wide. When full grown, the branches of the tree will be tickling the corner of the house and providing lots of shade.

If it was closer, it would be growing into the house and possibly causing a hazard. So, it’s important to think about trees in terms of how far away it needs to be from the house at maturity, as well as it’s watering needs and where it’s located in the landscape.

It’s also important to think about easements before planting trees and shrubs. The most common would be a survey of your property that would contain information on easements, utilities, and the placement of lines. Or, you can see if your county has a GIS website with layers that will show some of the same information.

You’ll need to call 1-800-DIG-SAFE to mark the location of your utilities before you do any kind of excavation. This includes building a fence or deck, and planting a tree. It’s important to check that out before you put your shovel in the ground.

Right plant, right place can also mean the proper type of environment for plants. Some plants prefer shade, or they prefer sun. And, they’ll perform better in those places. So, you’ll need to group them according to their light requirements, and their water requirements.

Some shade loving plants prefer a bit more water, and you should consider putting them in a spot with some irrigation. And, they should be grouped with other like plants – they all like water, or they all like dry conditions. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t mix them up, or you can lose plants.

This feature story prepared with Cheryl Boyer, Kansas State University Research and Extension, Nursery Crop Production. For more information, visit your local county extension office or visit our website at KansasGreenYards.org.