Imperial Valley Press

TIME TO PLANT
EXPLAINED BY
FARM ADVISOR

By FRANK BEYSCHLAG

The success that home gardener has in starting ornamental trees and shrubs in Imperial Valley frequently is influenced by the time of transplanting and the pruning given the plants.

Many plants, particularly those that lose their leaves in winter, should be planted in December and January, preferably just as early as dormant plants can be secured from the nursery. Trees in this group include the pecan, Chinese elm, Arizona ash, cottonwood, umbrella, willow, plum apricot peach jujube, black mulberry, golden rain tree, Chinese pistache and European plane tree. Deciduous shrubs include the pomegranate, rose, Japanese barberry, crapemyrtle and lemon verbena. Climbing plants that lose their leaves and that should be planted in early winter include Thompson seedless grape, Chinese trumpet creeper, wisteria, and climbing roses.

In addition to the above broad-leafed plants that lose their leaves in winter, there is another group of hardy evergreens adopted to the desert country that it is also well to transplant in December and January. This "Christmas tree" group includes the casuarina or beefwood, Aleppo pine, Arizona cypress, Italian cypress, Monterey cypress, and Chinese arbor vitae.

The advantage gained by transplanting these two groups of plants when their growth is practically at a standstill is that their roots then have the opportunity to get at least partially established before the spring growth, and warmer weather begin to make demands on them for moisture and soil nutrients.

When transplanting of deciduous plants is delayed until spring the tops in many instances will immediately start growing before the roots have gotten a foothold in the soil. The reserve food and moisture supplies within the plant itself consequently are drawn upon so heavily that the plant often either partially dies back or wholly succumbs.

Another group many of which are broad leafed evergreens and some of which are native plants, may be transplanted fall, winter, or early spring from late October until mid April. The least desirable time however to transplant this group is December and January. Trees in this group include carob fig, loquat, Palo Verde, Jerusalem thorn, Mesquite, California pepper, Brazilian pepper, Bottle tree, silk oak, and the southeastern live oak (Quercus virginiana). Shrubs adapted to this wider range of planting dates are myrtle California privet, the brooms or genista, oleander, Holly leafed cherry, pyracanthas, and cotoneasters. Tender shrubs in this same group that require protection on cold nights if planted early include lantana, hibiscus, Natal plum and Fremontia Mexicana. Climbers that may be transplanted over this wide period include, catsclaw trumpet creeper, Japanese or Boston ivy, Virginia creeper, Primrose jasmine, climbing fig and Japanese honeysuckle. Tender climbers in this group include Bougainvillea, trailing lantana, and Rose-de-Montana. The caution is given, however, that best success is had by not delaying the planting of this group until too late in the spring.

In addition there are a few sub-tropical trees including citrus, eucalyptus and olive that may be transplanted in the fall and winter as the preceding group particularly if balled and given sufficient winter protection. It is best, to transplant these three species from February 10 to April 15 and preferably in February.

The palms embracing the date with its half brother the canary palm and their tribe of cousins the fan leaf palms, are a group unto themselves. They prefer that the chill of winter be entirely gone from the soil before they are moved to new locations. April 15 to July 1 is their transplanting time.

It is emphasized that, possibly with a few exceptions in the above group of hardy evergreens, a heavy pruning at the time of transplanting is a practice that helps secure success in getting the plants started. With both bare root and balled plants, there is a heavy loss of the fine feeder roots when a plant is dug out of the nursery. A heavy initial pruning of the top therefore is necessary in order to have no more foliage than the drastically reduced feeder root area can support. The later in the season plant is set out the less opportunity it has to reestablish its feeder root system before top growth occurs, and hence the heavier should be its initial pruning. In later years after a plant is growing, heavy pruning is justified on some plants such as the rose in order to get fewer but larger blossoms, or the grapes in order to produce less but better fruit, or on some ornamentals in order to keep them small and in bounds.

Because most plants need heavy pruning when they are transplanted and a few require heavy pruning for special reasons afterwards, it does not follow that all plants require heavy pruning after they are established. Heavy pruning of older trees and shrubs is one of the main reasons that many trees and shrubs in both private and public plantings lack the beauty possessed by uncared for plants in their wild native state.