Spring Planting Tips for 2023
Now that the new year has come and spring is on its way, it’s never too early to start planning your spring planting projects! Looking to start landscaping projects for the first time or are new to the Treasure Valley? We are here to help at Arbor Farms Nursery! Here are some helpful tips for your project planning:
The sooner the better! We recommend planning your spring planting projects before the first day of summer. Within this time plant and tree availability and selection is excellent and the chances of the availability of a certain plant or tree that you may be seeking are much greater than later in the year. Planting sooner, or even waiting until fall, gives your newly planted trees and plants the best chance at surviving the Treasure Valley’s hot and dry summers.
When exploring plant and tree ideas, think about the future! Foreseeing the future may be impossible, but it is possible to foresee plants and trees becoming a problem down the road. It may be tempting to come down to a nursery and fill up your yard space with as many plants or even trees that can fit. Or even plant a currently small tree in an area close to your home or fence. But the simple truth is that everything eventually grows! It is important to remember that many of our trees and plants here at the nursery are very young and will become much bigger with time. Our staff is more than happy to help you assess your landscape and help you pick out what will work best for your specific landscape. Bringing pictures of your landscape and its surroundings (fences, powerlines, houses, etc.) will help determine which items and how many will best fit your landscape.
Are there any restrictions before you start planting? Anytime before you start digging, especially for trees, call DIGLINE (811) to see if there are any utilities located where you are planning to dig. If you have an HOA or your yard is regulated by a city, you may need to check their landscaping guidelines and may have to go through an approval process before you buy and plant any trees or plants.
Newly planted trees and plants may need extra water! Many newly planted trees and plants may need some extra water for their first year while they are getting established, even if they are planted in a lawn or garden bed that is watered by sprinklers. Before you purchase and plant new trees and plants, you’ll need to be prepared to take some time aside for a regular watering schedule. You’ll have to take into consideration the timing of planting and possible conflicts that will prevent you from watering your new trees and plants regularly (such as vacations or work trips). Getting a watering schedule dialed in can be rather tricky, so it is best to let our staff help walk you through the watering process for your specific trees and plants. You can call us or stop by anytime during business hours for watering concerns or questions, we are more than happy to help you with keeping your trees and plants thriving.
Do you need a landscaper? That would depend on your vision for your landscape and the budget you may have. Do-It-Yourself landscaping is certainly less expensive and can be a great learning experience. However, you may need to turn to the professionals in certain cases such as large trees or plants and transportation of your trees and plants. Most of our trees here at the nursery average around 250-350 lbs (averaging 8-10’ tall), and become even heavier the taller they get. For the health of the tree and for your own safety it may be safer in some cases to turn to the professionals who are better equipped to handle heavy trees. However there are plenty of trees and plants in our nursery that are perfect for DIY projects. Choosing between planting yourself or hiring a landscaper would depend on your own vision for your landscape and budget. Having larger trees or plants now, or choosing smaller ones and watching them grow. Other considerations may be regulations by a HOA or a city who may require certain sizes of trees or plants planted in your yard. Our staff is happy to help walk you through the process of deciding between planting yourself or hiring a professional.
Planting! Planting your own tree or plant may seem daunting, however with taking the correct steps it can make the process a breeze. One of the first most crucial steps is keeping your trees and plants moist until they are able to be planted. Trees and plants in pots or burlap balls dry out faster than most people would think. We recommend before picking up your trees or plants to dig the holes so that once you receive your items you can plant them as soon as you get home. If you plan on waiting to plant after you take your products home you must make sure the soil in the pots or burlap root ball remains moist until you are ready to plant. Our staff can help you determine the best steps in keeping your trees and plants happy and well watered until they are in the ground. For the planting process, check out our article on Tree Planting + Care. This article covers the steps for planting as well as care afterwards for your plants.