before you plant
Ask yourself the following questions before making your final plant selection:
- How much sunlight will my plant receive?
- Did I call PUPS line locator at 811 to have my utility lines marked?
- How are my plants going to receive water?
- How do I best amend my soil?
Amending Hint: Planting trees and shrubs in Charleston’s native sandy and clay ridden soil can be a gardener’s biggest challenge. Brownswood Nursery suggests that you amend your soil with Brownswood Premium Planting Mix. A custom blend containing composted bark, gypsum, Canadian sphagnum peat moss, lime, and recycled material we developed for Charleston, Brownswood Premium Planting mix will help ensure your plant has a great root environment to get growing.
getting ready to plant
Make sure you have the following items on hand:
- Good gloves (We LOVE Atlas’ line of Nitrile Touch Gloves!)
- Shovel, Pick Axe (for heavy clay/roots), Rake, and Irrigation supplies
- Bio Tone Starter Fertilizer
- Brownswood Premium Planting Mix
- Mulch
planting steps
- Dig hole 2X as wide as your plant. When determining the depth of your hole, make sure the root ball of the plant sits slightly higher than the surrounding soil. Remove container of plant and tease the roots to encourage outward root growth.
- Place root ball in hole and backfill with a mixture of approximately 2/3 Brownswood Premium Planting Mix and 1/3 native soil.
- Apply Bio Tone Starter Plus fertilizer according to package instructions and water thoroughly.
- Mulch your new planting, being careful to leave a 2” “air ring” around the stem of the plant.
watering
Your new plants will get thirsty, especially in Charleston’s hot summer months! Make sure they receive adequate water using these general guidelines:
Watering Adjustments: Make sure water is applied to the original root ball. Adjust water according to your soil type, temperature, rainfall and other irrigation. Watering with a sprinkler system is generally not advised for your new plant, as it probably won’t be able to saturate the ground. Brownswood Nursery recommends installing a drip irrigation system with a timer.
- Apply two gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter (Not sure how fast a gallon of water comes out of your hose? Try filling up a gallon jug with water from your garden hose!)
- Water daily for two weeks
- Water every other day for two months
- Water weekly until established
Watering Adjustments: Make sure water is applied to the original root ball. Adjust water according to your soil type, temperature, rainfall and other irrigation. Watering with a sprinkler system is generally not advised for your new plant, as it probably won’t be able to saturate the ground. Brownswood Nursery recommends installing a drip irrigation system with a timer.
maintenance
Become familiar with your plant. Watching out for any signs of stress is the key to a healthy landscape.
Signs to look out for:
Maintenance Tip: Can’t seem to diagnose your plant’s problem? Bring a sample branch with leaves to a Brownswood Nurseryman OR send us a picture to [email protected]. We can recommend the right product or give you advice on how to solve the problem. Don’t forget that proper fertilizing will help to prevent any issues from occurring.
Signs to look out for:
- Wilted or shrunken leaves (probably not enough water)
- Scorched leaves or leaves with brown tips (most likely too much direct sun, fertilizer burn, or over watering)
- Pests and Fungus (White flies, scale, and powdery mildew are common problems but are easily treated. We recommend using horticultural oil on your roses, flowers and shrubs and Earth-tone Disease Control on your edibles.)
Maintenance Tip: Can’t seem to diagnose your plant’s problem? Bring a sample branch with leaves to a Brownswood Nurseryman OR send us a picture to [email protected]. We can recommend the right product or give you advice on how to solve the problem. Don’t forget that proper fertilizing will help to prevent any issues from occurring.
guarantee & return policy
Whether grown here or specially ordered for you, we take extra care to ensure the health and vigor of your plant. We guarantee that your plant is the correct variety and healthy at the time of purchase. Should a problem arise with your plant, call us as soon as symptoms appear so we can try to help troubleshoot. Should your plant not survive within the first year, bring the plant in, along with your receipt, and we will offer a replacement plant at up to 50% off the regular price at the time of replacement. Our Guarantee covers Trees, Shrubs, Palms (excluding Sabal Palms), Evergreen Grasses, Flowering vines, Ground Covers, Blueberries and Figs.
This does not apply to annuals, perennials, perennial grasses, sod, tropicals, edibles, citrus, indoor plants, succulents, or sabal palmettos. Installation is an additional fee.
All sales are final. Manager approved returns are for store credit only.
This does not apply to annuals, perennials, perennial grasses, sod, tropicals, edibles, citrus, indoor plants, succulents, or sabal palmettos. Installation is an additional fee.
All sales are final. Manager approved returns are for store credit only.
