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What kind of garden requires minimal maintenance?

What plants grow in different lighting situations?

What is the best season for trimming trees? What should we expect from a tree

Tree roots are damaging our driveway. Is there anything we can do besides removing the trees?

We're thinking of planting a hedge. What are some of the considerations?

We have not had much success growing plants on our property. Should we test the soil?

Trees, conifers, and shrubs require the least maintenance. Conifers come all sizes and shapes, and may be suitable in places where you need a hedge or a small plant. Ground covers require a few years of weeding until the growth is established. If you want flowers, select perenials that don't require lots of fuss. Perenials will come back every year. Though some landscapes lend themselves to wild grasses, which require almost no maintenance, generally a grass lawn requires regular mowing and watering. Also, stay away from annual flowers. They are high maintenance because you must dig them up and replant them at least once a year.

Hastas grow quickly in the shade with little maintenance they also proliferate and can be spread out for ground cover. It is a common plant with nice flowers. For more information on plants that grow in different environments, go to The Garden Helper. Note: The Garden Helper is a very good site, but sometimes it's not up. If it's not up, try again later.

Just before spring growth starts is the best time to prune most trees. At this time, you can really see what you are doing and it minimizes the pruning wounds. Though for most trees, it is acceptable to prune a bit at any time, you should never trim oak trees between April and October to avoid spreading oak wilt and maples, walnuts, and birch should only be pruned just after they have leafed out in late spring/early summer. When hiring an arborist, make sure that he/she is insured, qualified or certified to use the power equipment, and ask for some references. Also make sure they provide written estimates for work to be done.

Prevention is the best measure, but it may be possible to prune the roots of an existing tree if it is too close to pavement or cement. If you want to prune roots, you should call in an arborist first. The arborist will consider such things as the age and health of the tree. Here are some general rules on root pruning:

• The tree might die if you prune its roots
• A younger tree can better withstand root pruning than an older one
• Don't prune the roots of a sick tree or one that is in a windy area
• Some experts say prune roots at a distance of at least three times the trunk's diameter
• Some experts say that you should prune no more than one quadrant of a tree's roots per year

After trimming the roots, you should consider buying and installing a tree root barrier. An arborist can refer you to a store that sells these products, or for more information look at the Sherrill Arborist Supply website which offers both bio barriers and plastic barriers. (To find them, search for bio barrier or deeproot.)

Hedges provide privacy, screen-off undesirable views, reduce winds, and trap snows. Hedges are commonly used to mark boundaries, direct pedestrian traffic, and as barriers. They also provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. Hedges can be deciduous or evergreen, sheared or unsheared (formal or natural), short or tall.

Before purchasing plants, home gardeners should carefully consider their landscape needs and the characteristics of the various shrubs. For example, deciduous shrubs drop their leaves in the fall and are effective screens mainly during the growing season. Evergreens provide good screening all year. Gardeners considering a sheared, formal hedge should realize that they may need to be pruned (sheared) several times a year to remain attractive. In comparison, an informal, natural hedge is relatively low maintenance. Select shrubs that grow to the desired height. Planting a tall-maturing shrub where a short, informal hedge is desired creates unnecessary work.

Purchase plant material from a reliable garden center or mail-order nursery. Bare-root material is the most economical type of nursery stock when planting a deciduous hedge. Container-grown and balled and burlapped material are the best choices for evergreen hedges.

Spring (late March through May) is the best time to plant a hedge. Bare-root material should be planted before the buds break and growth begins. Spring planting is also preferable for container-grown and balled and burlapped plant material.

Plant spacing is determined by the plant species and hedge type. Plants in a sheared, formal hedge are generally planted 1 to 2 1/2 feet apart. Shrubs in an unsheared, natural hedge should be spaced further apart. A spacing of 2 to 4 feet is appropriate for medium-sized (6 to 8 feet tall) shrubs. Large shrubs (8 to 12 feet tall) can be spaced 4 to 6 feet apart.

To achieve a dense, full hedge, deciduous plants should be pruned back severely at planting time. Cut the plants back to within 6 to 8 inches of the ground when planting both formal and natural hedges. This will induce vigorous growth close to the ground. Evergreens require little or no pruning at planting.

The above information is from an article by Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture, University of Iowa.

The Spring Hill Nursery website features a good search engine for finding hedges (and other plants).

We have not had much success growing plants on our property. Should we test the soil?

While there are many reasons that plants fail to grow--overwatering, insects, poor light, etc.--many experts recommend testing the soil every few years. Over time, soil can develop a nutrient imbalance. If the ph level and levels of phosphorous, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, are not correct, many plants will have trouble growing. A good test not only lets you know what's in your soil, but makes recommendations for correcting any imbalance.

Many garden supply stores and nurseries sell soil testing kits or, alternatively, you can go to a site like EarthCo, which sells a kit that tests three soil samples for under $50. When taking samples, follow the instructions carefully. The Horticulture Department at the University of Ohio suggests that you take soil samples as follows:

• Remove the top debris, residue, or turf thatch from the soil surface before taking the sample.
• Sample gardens, trees, shrubs, flower beds, and orchards 6-8 inches deep.
• For the lawn, lift the sod and sample 3 inches deep.
• Sample a row crop field or garden between rows to avoid fertilizer bands.
• Sample when soils are suitable for spading or plowing.
• Take separate samples from fields that have received different fertility programs.
• Take separate samples from soils that are distinguishable by color (i.e. light vs. dark), drainage, or other factors.