Design
What Is The Intent Of Your Garden?
The primary step in the process is design. A little bit of planning can make a difference in the future of your garden. To lay out a plan, first choose the intent of your garden. Is it to suppress invasive species, control erosion, restore a natural area, or create a personal butterfly garden? The following steps outline how to choose the species that will be best for your garden using the key rule in design: choose the right plant for the right place.
Be sure to work with Pizzo Nursery to discuss the species and sizes available. Our staff are a great resource for knowledge on species selection and substitution, and general advice for your garden.
The 3 S’s: Sunlight, Soil, and Space
The easiest place to start is with the three characteristics that will ensure you are choosing the right plant for the right place.
Sunlight
Soil
What is the soil moisture level at the specific site? Is it dry throughout the year, does it have standing water, or does it flood at certain times of the year? Refer to the USDA’s Wetland Factor or the Wetness Factor for the specific habitat or tolerance for each species. What type of soil is it? Are you planting in loam, sand, clay, or combinations of each?
Space
Use our plant calculator to figure out how many plugs will be needed in your area. Then determine how many plugs of each species you will need. Keep in mind the height of each species if there are any special requirements or restrictions.
Once you have determined your site’s 3 S’s, you can choose to get more specific about the desired characteristics for your garden. Review species characteristics such as height, bloom time, bloom color, bird- and butterfly-attracting species, selfseeding, and medicinal properties can make your garden catered to your needs and goals.
Remember to choose carefully and plan for availability with our nursery. There may be certain species that are not available at a certain time of year. Our staff is always willing to help sort through the details and offer substitutions.
Preparation
Clearing
The second step to a successful natural area or garden is proper preparation of the land. Removal of invasive and weedy vegetation is necessary since such species can interfere with the growth of native plant communities. Should they later dominate a site, they can be not only difficult but costly to remove. Clearing methods ranging from mechanical, herbicide use, smoldering, and conventional pruning (specifically for trees and shrubs) are recommended. Clearing allows sunlight to penetrate into the soil, giving newly installed seed and plugs enough resources to grow and thrive. Be sure to protect and save any desirable species, especially ones that are of high value, threatened, or endangered in a specific area.
Soil Amendments
Another important aspect to pay attention to is the soil. Development, industry, and agriculture have changed our soils from their original compositions. It is important to test your soil for qualities such as structure, nutrient levels, pH, drainage, and organic matter. Basic soil tests can be
found online along with soil data collected through soil surveys by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Using the testing results, it is important to make any soil amendments necessary on your site. For garden planting, Pizzo Native Plant Nursery recommends placing 3”-4” of organic compost on top of the soil before installation. This will act as a mulch to help with nutrient levels and moisture retention. Established prairie plants lose
25% of their root mass a year, which they replace. This cycle adds to the soil structure and organic matter content.
Installation
You can plant anytime during the growing season but the most advantageous times to install your plugs are in spring or fall. Plant either after the frost date in the spring or before the frost date in the fall.
Upon installation, choose the highest quality plugs with good root systems that are not root bound, have adequate top growth, and no presence of insects or diseases. It is recommended that species which are flowering or setting seed are cut down prior to planting. Those plants are putting the most energy into flowering and seeding thus they will be exporting less energy into root growth once transplanted.
Installation is best in the morning or afternoon when the sun is not the brightest or hottest. Plant the plug soil line evenly with the ground soil line. Be aware that the stem should not be covered by the soil or heavily mulched, as this will reduce survival ability. Upon installation, water the plants thoroughly to reduce shock to the root hairs.
Use our plant calculator to determine how many plugs you’ll need for your installation.
Stewardship & Maintenance
Native gardens have a reputation for their low maintenance. While this is true for many reasons, it is important to keep your garden in check for the first couple of years and periodically throughout its lifetime. A simple guide to caring for your garden is to remember the 3 W’s.
Weed
During the first few years it is important to suppress weeds that produce root and top growth which will compete with your native plants. Annual weeds may be managed by removing spent flowers to prevent weeds from dispersing seed. Perennial weeds will need to be hand pulled or spot treated with herbicides if the infestations are heavy.
Water
The deep root systems that native plants develop through time make them very drought tolerant. However, for the first 6-8 weeks of establishment water is critical to the long-term survivability of the plant. Keep an eye out for flagging leaves as a sign of dryness and water deeply when needed. Be sure to water at the roots, as watering the tops of plants on very hot days may cause them to burn out.
Watch
Make a habit of keeping an eye on the plants to watch for insects (both good and bad), diseases which usually result from overwatering, and predator damage. And of course, take time to enjoy the native plants as they flower, set seed, and observe the native fauna visiting your garden.
Depending on the scale, intent, and age of the natural area, various other stewardship techniques may be required such as brush cutting, mowing, spot treatments of herbicide, hand pulling aggressive species, and prescribed fire. On large scale projects, these are best performed by a contractor such as Pizzo & Associates who have a proven track record and specialize in ecological restoration.
Seed
In addition to plug planting, growing your garden or natural area from seed is another option. Many times, both methods are used to ensure success as certain species may not come up from seed well. Although seeding reduces costs, the minimum time for a seeded garden or natural area to establish is three years, and more expertise is required to steward the garden to success.
The preparation before seeding is similar to the procedure for planting. It is strongly recommended to seed native species in the late fall since most species require a period of “cold stratification” to break dormancy in the spring. If seeding in the spring, stratified seed is best, otherwise grasses and forbs that do not need stratification will dominate in the first year, followed by those forbs or sedges that do need it in the following year.
Hand broadcasting is an easy method to disperse the seed onto your area. Be aware of different sizes and weights of seed, as larger and heavier seed can fall to the bottom of your seed bag. Either spread separately or mix thoroughly. A good tip is to mix filler such as sand, sawdust, or moistened perlite with the seed to achieve even distribution. Once sown, rake the seed in with the soil. During spring seeding, pack the soil down a halfinch to achieve good seed to soil contact. The freeze and thaw cycles of the winter will accomplish that after seeding in the fall. Frost seeding, or seeding during the winter is possible, it is best done on bare ground before a snow fall. Landscape contractors have successfully utilized mechanical means of seed installation for large scale projects.
One should never expect successful results from simply sowing seed without several years of stewardship management. The first year a seedling may only show 4-6” of top growth vegetation, however, the roots will grow at least twice that size. Therefore is very important to reduce competition from unwanted vegetation by employing specialized stewardship services.
Aquatic Bare Root Installation
It is important to keep the root stock wet before planting. Upon planting, make sure the soil is saturated, and if not, water it. Cover the bare root pieces with soil leaving the buds exposed at the top to promote growth. Water thoroughly upon planting. Use mulch with organic matter such as peat moss to retain moisture and decrease erosion. Do not fertilize.