The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Shrubs And Trees

After the sub-soil has been loosened, the surface grade should be re-established and the manure or leafmold spread over it about 3 inches deep. This is then spaded in or, if such an implement is at all available, machined in with one of the handy rotating motor cultivators. These can be adjusted to a depth of 8 or 10 inches, and by going over the area twice one can manage to incorporate the top-dressing into the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches. No other tool will do as efficient a job.

When this operation has been completed, re-check the grade of the area. Always have the area well graded before you start planting, so that you do not in the end find some shrubs set too high and others too low.

Save, in addition to the top-dressing you worked into the soil, an extra supply of manure or leafmold, depositing it in convenient places for use in the planting of individual specimen shrubs or trees.

For the preparation of planting areas for Rhododendrons.

For hedges of such unpretentious materials as Privet, dig atrench one foot wide for a single-line hedge, 15 inches for a double-line, depositing the excavated soil along its length and mixing it as seems desirable with manure or leafmold. A depth of one foot will suffice if the subsoil is of fair quality; if not, better excavate a little deeper.

When it comes to planting, refill the trench as you go along up to what appears to be the proper planting depth of the stock. If you are planting a single-line hedge, set the plants in the middle of the trench. For a double line, space your plants along the opposite sides of the trench. For a single line Privet hedge the plants will be set about 9 or 10 inches apart, for a double line about 10 to 12 inches, in which case the rows arc staggered.

First locate the main pieces

The area prepared for shrubs will usually be part of a general planting plan for the place. The first step toward planting, then, will be to locate in it the position of those larger specimens which are to be important features in the general picture. These should be placed, and perhaps shifted about a little, so as to satisfy the eye from various viewpoints.

After these have been placed, we are ready to plant the lesser shrubs which will constitute the body of the borders and groups. Before we set out to plant them, we want to think a little about the spacing and distribution of them.