Planting Trees Correctly
Photo Credit: Blake Thaxton
Often in Extension we are asked to look at unhealthy plants in the landscape. We see every problem under the sun. Whether it is diseases, insects, or cultural problems we run into them all. One problem that seems to be a trend, when clients show us a declining tree, is signs of improper tree installation. Though the tree may survive for 10 or 15 years after planting, it never thrives and it experiences a slow death. Here are 11 easy steps to follow for tree installation.
- Look Up
- Dig a shallow planting hole as wide as possible
- Find the point where the top-most root emerges from the trunk
- Slide the tree carefully into the planting hole
- Position the point where the top-most root emerges from the trunk slightly above the landscape soil surface
- Straighten the tree in the hole
- Remove synthetic materials from around trunk and root ball
- Slice a shovel down in to the backfill
- Cover the exposed sides of the root ball with mulch
- Stake the tree if necessary
- Come back to remove hardware
For more detailed information visit this UF/IFAS website.
Also remember that fall is a great time to plant a tree because of the way trees grow. As you can see on the image above, roots tend to grow in the winter. This is a good thing so that the root system will be well established when spring comes and a new flush of growth will begin on the top of the tree.
Plants change with the season
As the season changes, plants change as well. This is true in evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs as well as our lawn grasses.
The cooler night temperatures and the shorter day length of fall result in changes in the physiology of many of our landscape plants and lawn grasses.
It’s common for azaleas to lose a few leaves now. These are the older leaves on the stem near the center of the plant. They turn reddish or yellow and drop from the plant. This is normal from now until spring. However, if the younger leaves, those nearest the tip of the shoot, turn yellow or brown there is cause for concern. Poor drainage, lack of water or alkaline soils may cause this condition.
Yellow leaves may appear on camellias, gardenias, cherry laurel and oleanders. Again, as with azaleas, these are the older leaves on the stem near the center of the plant. It’s normal for these leaves to drop from the plants now until spring. However, do not confuse scale damage on camellias for normal aging of leaves. Scale insects feed on the lower surface of camellia leaves causing them to become splotched with yellow.
Many of the leaves on sycamore trees have changed from green to brown. Although this phenomenon occurs every year, it’s not caused by a change in day length or temperature. This is not a true seasonal change. It’s the result of insects feeding on the leaves. By the time the damage is visible, there is little that can be done to correct the problem. However, the problem will take care of itself since sycamore trees will soon be dropping their leaves.
Lawn grasses also experience some seasonal changes. The growth rate of lawn grasses slows in the fall. Although this slowdown in growth means less mowing is required, it also means that lawns will not be as attractive as they were during spring and summer. Because of this reduced growth rate, grasses cannot produce enough new leaves to replace the leaves that are dying. The end result is a dull, yellow-green lawn.
Normal seasonal color change in centipedegrass lawn from green to reddish purple.
Photo by Larry Williams, Okaloosa County Extension
Normal seasonal color change on older ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia leaves. Photo by Larry Williams, Okaloosa County Extension
Numerous reddish-purple blades throughout the lawn may be visible now as well. Cooler temperatures, injury to the leaf blades from foot traffic, mowing equipment, vehicles, etc, can cause this. It also could be caused by lack of potassium or phosphorus but is more likely the result of cooler temperatures, especially if it did not show up until fall.
New Flowers, Incredible History
Since 2005, multiple varieties of Diascia have added to the U.S. fall market of winter flowering plants. Its delicate flowers are far from ordinary though. In the early part of the last century most British gardening encyclopedias listed just one diascia – Diascia barberae – derived from seed collected by Col. J. H. Bowker and sent by Mrs. Barber to Kew Gardens, England, in 1870. Annual and perennial diascias had, of course, already been discovered and classified by several botanists visiting South Africa much earlier. The dainty, little annual, Diascia barberae, is not a very showy flower, but one which will appeal to the true flower lover. The flowers are rosy pink with yellow-green spots in the throat. The flowers are lipped, being related to the Snapdragons, but have two spurs on the lower lips, and are sometimes called twinspur. It was not until John Kelly was given a plant called Diascia cordata by Edrom Nurseries in 1971 that anything notable happened to diascias again. He took pollen from his Diascia cordata and applied it to one flower of Diascia barberae. Of the nine seeds he obtained, just one was worthy of attention. He named it Diascia ‘Ruby Field’ (not for the color of the flowers, but for a lady who devoted her live to the long-term care of deprived children). Despite the popularity of this new, hardy hybrid, little more happened with diascias for yet another decade. The boom in the diascia trade began only recently. Today’s diascia offers larger flowers, larger plants with a more open growth habit and colors ranging from scarlet through salmon and coral into pink. They bloom throughout the cooler weather and may behave as a perennial in warmer sites. But, the uniqueness of their flower structure and ecological role are as fascinating as the flower is beautiful. 
The common name of twinspur refers to the two downwardly pointing spurs found on the back of the flower. The spurs contain an oil which is collected in the South Africa wild by Rediviva bees. The female bees have unusually long, hairy forelegs that are used to collect the oil to feed her larvae. However, the Greek origin of the Diascia name doesn’t refer to the spurs, but rather the two sacs found in the upper part of the corolla. The flower petals help the bees to 
orient themselves to the oil glands of the spurs. While North Florida isn’t home to the Rediviva bee, we can grow Diascia and it is a wonderful opportunity to show the unique connection insects and plants can have. Look for other specialized flower structures and you will find other animals that fit them perfectly, even within the species found in the Panhandle.
Community Butterfly Habitat
I recently met with a group of community volunteers who are interested in providing more butterfly habitat in our public areas. Monarchs migrating to Mexico this time of year use northwest Florida as a stopover and feeding site, but if host plants are unavailable they cannot sustain a healthy population. In addition, Gulf fritillaries, buckeyes, and swallowtails are spending time in local butterfly gardens, feeding on passion vine, butterfly bush, milkweed, and more.
The grassy area between this stormwater pond and woods is an ideal location for a butterfly garden. Willows growing along the edge attract butterflies already. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
The volunteers and several county staff visited three publicly-managed stormwater ponds, which are an ideal setting for what some proponents term “Butterflyscaping.” The open space, water source, and diversity of plants along the edge of the ponds lend themselves well to wildlife habitat.
The permanently wet detention pond lined with cypress trees and sawgrass also provides habitat for fish, birds, and reptiles. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
When considering adding vegetation to a neighborhood common area, there are several things to consider. First is maintenance. If there’s an annual contract with a landscaping company to mow or maintain an area, you’ll want to have a discussion about excluding the new planting area from mowing to establish new vegetation. You’ll also want to look at the soil and amount of sunlight to determine the best plant choices for the area.
A variety of groundcovers, flowering plants, shrubs and small trees will typically provide food for both caterpillars and adult butterflies. Once established, these new landscape additions will not only provide habitat and color, but may end up reducing maintenance costs as well.
For more information, the UF publication “Community Butterflyscaping” is an excellent resource for landscape design, plant choices, and practical steps toward getting started with a neighborhood or schoolyard project.
Learn from UF/IFAS Extension experts at 37th annual Sunbelt Ag Expo
By Brad Buck, 352-294-3303, bradbuck@ufl.edu
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – You can find out when to plant crops, how to can foods safely and how to use paper to pot plants from University of Florida experts at the 37th annual Sunbelt Ag Expo.
The Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct .14-16 in Moultrie, Ga., is the largest agricultural expo in the southeast, and more than 100,000 people attend each year.
“The Sunbelt Expo gives people from all walks of life a chance to learn about everything Extension offers from our experts,” said Nick Place, dean of Extension for UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Known as North America’s Premier Farm Show and the largest such show in the U.S., the expo unites all segments of rural living. The setting features the latest agricultural research, a live farm harvest and insights into various agricultural businesses, according to its website.
UF/IFAS will have a permanent building, popular with visitors because of engaging displays and giveaways such as peanuts from the Florida Peanut Growers Association, Florida Orange Juice provided by Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company and many other “Gator Giveaways.”
This year, the Extension Service celebrates the centennial of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which created the national service, in which agents deliver unbiased research data to their constituents. Florida’s program remains as viable as ever, helping its many stakeholders. That includes guiding growers to maximize production through the most efficient use of their resources.
UF/IFAS’s three branches, Extension, research and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) will feature six interactive booths with the theme “Solutions for the Next 100 Years.”
Experts will interact with the public on several topics:
- “Canning parties” were some of the first Extension programs to help people better understand how to safely preserve foods. Expo visitors can learn more about this tradition as Family and Consumer Science Extension agents share from the past and present to provide the latest innovations for home food preservation.
- 4-H is one of UF/IFAS’ oldest recognized Extension programs. See how youth are leading and learning to meet the challenges of the next century. Visitors will learn about a 4-H recycling project and can take home a start to their family garden.
- Farming tools and methods are constantly improving. Visitors can see some of UF/IFAS’ favorites from the past and contrast them with flyin
g drones and infrared scanners for today and the future. These new tools aid farmers in early identification of disease, pest and nutritional problems. - Natural Resource and Sea Grant Extension agents are bringing Florida’s beaches and bays to Georgia. Touch tanks and displays with animals will highlight this exhibit focused on beach and boating safety and stewardship.
- Horticulture displays will give visitors insight into establishing a Florida Friendly yard by using appropriate plants and cultural methods. Butterfly gardening plants will be featured. Visitors will also learn how to distinguish beneficial insects from problem pests.
- Visit with CALS Ambassadors and learn about life as a UF agriculture student. Ambassadors will give information about major programs, admission, enrollment and hand out plenty of Gator goodies.