If you need advice on what to plant in a specific location of your landscape in Central Texas, there are several key pieces of information that you need to bring to the experts at Backbone in order to receive a recommendation that will thrive in your landscape. Let’s go over the information to consider before choosing a tree, shrub or perennial plant for you landscape.
What type of soil are you planting in?
Central Texas has a variety of soil types, and each one has its own specific properties. Does your soil have lots of limestone rocks?
Is you soil a clay-based soil or does it have a clay layer under the top few inches? Some soils are mostly granite gravel, often with clay beneath. We also have an area the is considered to be “Blackland Prairie” which has a darker clay soil. Perhaps you live on top of a hill and have “shelf rock” below a shallow layer of topsoil. Many areas have a sandy loam “fill dirt” that was brought in by the builder.
Determining the soil type is key to knowing what to plant, as not all plants can tolerate all soil types. In the case of thin soils you may need to bring in soil to create a “berm” to plant on. Without accurate information we cannot make recommendations on what will thrive under your soil conditions.
Does your soil have good drainage?
Surface Drainage refers the slope of the land. If your planting area is at the bottom of a slope, we need to know, as seasonal rains will often saturate the soil. Certain plants can tolerate “seasonal wetness” and others, like Texas Sage and Rosemary will succumb to rotted roots.
Internal Drainage refers to how well water from irrigation or rain penetrates the layer of soil that roots grow in. Since 90% of plant roots that absorb water and nutrients are in the top one to two feet of soil, a soil drainage test will assist you in determining how well your soil drains. Be sure to perform the drainage test in the area that you will be planting in, as soil can change dramatically in some locations from one side of your yard to the other! Click HERE to learn about testing your soil for internal drainage.
How much direct sun will the area to be planted receive in the SUMMER?
You should know the direction that the planting area faces as well as what trees are present that might shade the area. Morning sun is less severe than afternoon sun, and certain plants will perform better in one or the other or even in full day sun. Remember that the winter sun is in a different orientation than the summer sun, and deciduous trees that are bare in the winter will provide “dappled sun” in the summer.
What type of irrigation will the area to be planted receive?
If you are wondering why this is important I have a good answer for you. Many plants are prone to disease when they receive regular “overhead” irrigation, especially when the irrigation is run at night and the leaves remain wet for extended periods. Many times an area is planting within the lawn irrigation zone. There are two reasons why this might be an issue. The first one is that it might promote Entomospoium Leaf Spot on Photinia or Indian Hawthorne, or Black Spot or Powdery Mildew on Roses, among a plethora of other diseases. The second reason is that lawns are watered to a depth of 4″-6″ while shrubs and perennials often have deeper roots and should have their own irrigation zone. It could mean the difference between “thriving or striving”.
What are the measurements of the area to be planted?
Over and over, I see people spacing plants according to the size the plant is when it is planted. This leads to crowding and more problems later on as the plants grow to their mature width. Spacing plants according to the mature width eliminates the situation of having to remove crowded plants later, or having to treat for disease because the plants lack air circulation from being crowded. Remember, a plant in a one gallon pot will grow to the same size as the same plant purchased in a 5 gallon pot. The size of pot does not determine spacing.
