Care and How-To Articles - Trees and Shrubs

Manure is the oldest fertilizer known to civilization. Many gardeners feel manure is superior to synthetic products. Careful and appropriate use of manure, especially in vegetables gardens, is important. 

February and March is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs in Iowa.  The absence of foliage at this time of year gives you a clear view of the tree and allows the selection and removal of appropriate branches.  Also, when pruned in the late dormant season the walling-off, compartmentalization, or sealing of wounds can begin as soon as growth starts in the spring giving the tree the most time to recover from the pruning cut.

Iowa State University has many resources available to help with pruning all your woody plants.

The keys to pruning trees and shrubs are a basic understanding of pruning techniques and knowing when to prune plants. It's also important to have the right tools. There are various types of pruning tools. The best tool for the job is determined by the size of the plant material and the situation.

When buying pruning equipment, select high-quality tools. Good, high-quality tools are not inexpensive. However, if they are used and cared for properly, they will perform better and far outlast the poor-quality, less expensive choices.

Young or newly-planted trees require special care to ensure their establishment and rapid growth. Young trees must be protected from the careless operation of lawnmowers and weed-trimmers, from vandals, and from harmful construction activities. They also must be given appropriate amounts of water and essential mineral elements (fertilizer) and may benefit from staking, trunk wrapping, and mulching. But pruning may be the most important post-plant maintenance task to perform on young trees if they are to live up to our expectations. The time and expense invested in training a young tree will always be much less than costly and time-consuming corrective pruning of neglected mature trees.

https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/gardeningsteil/digital-short/3531/plant-shoppingIn spring, many gardeners will be at nurseries, greenhouses, and garden centers looking to buy plants. Selecting the right species and cultivar of a plant for the landscape by matching sun, water, soil, winter hardiness, and other growing requirements is important. Equally important is selecting high-quality plants. Below is advice on how to purchase high-quality plants from the garden center.

Heavy amounts of snow and ice on the branches of trees and shrubs can cause considerable damage. Improper removal of ice and snow can increase the amount of damage to trees and shrubs. Learn about how to manage ice and heavy snow on trees and shrubs.

A shrub that flowers in winter?  That sounds unlikely but witch hazels do just that - even in Iowa!  Witch hazels (Hamamelis) are a group of shrubs that typically have the first (or last depending on what you are growing) blooms of the season in the garden. 

Cut Christmas trees are nearly synonymous with the holiday season.  Fraser fir, white pine, Douglas fir, and other needled conifer trees are common species used for cut trees in Iowa. 

When a cut tree isn’t feasible, rather than resorting to an artificial tree, there are several living Christmas tree alternatives. These not-so-common tree options are sometimes better sized, require less care, or live longer than the standard cut tree.  More information about these living alternatives to the classic cut tree can be found below.

The predominate colors of the home landscape in late fall and winter are white and various shades of gray and brown. An excellent way to brighten the drab winter landscape is to plant evergreens (pine, spruce, fir, etc.) and trees and shrubs that possess brightly colored fruit.  Growing plants with colorful fruit not only provide interest in the garden during the cold late fall and winter, they can also support wildlife such as birds.

The brightly colored fruit of many of the trees and shrubs will not remain throughout the entire winter. Extreme temperatures in mid-winter will eventually cause many of the fruit to turn brown or black. Hungry birds and squirrels will also devour the fruit. However, the display in late fall and early winter can be spectacular.

Cooler temperatures, crisp breezes, and beautiful fall foliage are some of the many reasons so many people love autumn.  The yellows, oranges, reds, and purples seen on many deciduous trees and shrubs in fall come from compounds present in the leaves earlier in the growing season, but masked by the green chlorophyll in the leaves. 

Windbreaks are common sites around Iowa farms and acreages. A well-planned windbreak will moderate hot and cold temperatures, reduce dust and snow, save money in home heating costs, and add monetary value to your property.

Learn about siting, planning, planting, maintaining, and selecting the best tree and shrub species for your windbreak.

While spring is the traditional planting season in Iowa, late summer and early fall (mid-August to early October) is an excellent time to plant many landscape plants.  Below is advice on fall planting of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, spring-flowering bulbs, lawns, and vegetables.

Trees & Shrubs | Perennials | Annuals | Bulbs | Lawns | Vegetables | More Information

Newly planted trees can eventually add great color and valuable cover to any landscape. But winter’s harsh conditions can hamper, delay or completely derail their development. There are several things you can do to help these new additions to the landscape survive and thrive in colder temperatures.

Water Newly Planted Trees Until the Ground Freezes

The roots of trees continue to grow until the ground freezes in winter. If the weather is dry, continue to water newly planted trees until the soil freezes. Small trees usually require watering for one or two growing seasons. It may be necessary to periodically water large trees for three or four years.

Some plants in the landscape need a little extra protection to make it through the winter months.  Here is what you need to know to successfully overwinter plants in Iowa.

When a summer heat wave arrives, it can be stressful for the plants and gardeners alike.  The plants of your landscape will require a little more TLC to make it through periods of extreme heat.  Below are a few tips to protect your lawn, garden, and landscape when temperatures soar.

Hydrangeas are popular shrubs for the home landscape.  Their large, elegant flowers charm homeowners and visitors alike throughout the summer months.  In the past decade, there has been an explosion of new cultivars with varying flower colors and shapes. With all this variety there is likely a hydrangea (or two) that will work in your landscape. 

Several hydrangea species can be grown in Iowa.  Two species (Smooth Hydrangea and Panicle Hydrangea) are easy-to-grow, reliable performers.  The others can be a bit more challenging. 

Winter is a challenging time for trees and shrubs.  Animals, wet snow, drying winds, sunscald, and deicing salts can damage trees and shrubs in the home landscape.  Fortunately, steps can be taken to minimize damage to trees and shrubs in winter.

Spring often gets all the attention when it comes to flowers, especially flowering trees. Yet, there are several tree species that bloom in early to late summer.  In addition to their late bloom, these trees en have other ornamental features that make them deserving of a spot in your landscape.

Woody weeds are trees and shrubs that have woody plant tissue.  They are perennial and typically classified as eudicots, although some may belong to other plant groups like gymnosperms (conifers).  Examples of woody weeds include tree of heaven, bush honeysuckle, and poison ivy.

These weeds can be particularly difficult to manage, especially if they grow large. 

Keeping ahead of weeds and controlling them when they are small is essential for good weed management. This requires persistence throughout the entire growing season to remove weeds as they emerge. 

Pulling & Digging  |  Mowing  |  Herbicides

Organic mulches serve several important functions in gardens and landscape plantings.

These many benefits make the use of mulch very beneficial in a wide range of garden settings. When choosing which organic mulch to use, consider availability, cost, appearance, function, and durability.

After a long (seemingly endless) winter, most Iowans are eagerly looking forward to spring. Sure signs of spring are the emergence of tulips and daffodils, the greening of lawns, and the blooming of early spring-flowering shrubs. Though it may be hard to believe, the flowers of the following shrubs will begin to appear within the next few weeks.

Locations with moist to wet soils are not suitable for many shrubs.  However, these sites are home to several native shrubs.  A list of native wetland shrubs, along with a brief description of each, is provided below. 

Suckers are vigorous upright growing stems that form at the base of a tree or from the root system causing stems to appear inches or feet from the base of the trunk.  They are problematic because they can reduce flowering and fruiting, alter the form of the tree, harbor pests and diseases, and look unsightly. 

Learn about what causes suckers to form and how they can be managed in the home landscape.

During the cold, gray days of winter, most Iowans look forward to the vibrant colors of spring.  The explosion of colors in the home landscape in spring include tulips, daffodils, Siberian squill, other spring-flowering bulbs, the greening of lawns, and flowering trees.   The following are excellent small, spring-flowering trees for the landscape.