Imperial Valley press., 1937-12-26
BEAUTIFICA ALTON AND ~
BUILDING
TIME TO PLANT
EXPLAINED BY
FARM ADVISOR
BY FRANK BEYSCHLAG

the time of transplanting and the
pruning given the plants.
Many plants, particularly those
that lose their leaves in winter,
should be planted in December and
January. preferably just as early
as dormant plants can be secured
from the nursery Trees in this
group include the pecan, Chinese
elm, Arizona ash, cottonwood, UNI
brella, willow, plum apricot peach,
jujube. black mulberry, golden rain
tree, Chinese pistache and Euro
pean plane tree. Deciduous shrubs
include the pomegranate. rose, ia
panese barberry, crapemyrtle and
lemon verbeua. Climbing plants
that lose their leaves. and that
should be planted in early winter
include Thompson seedless grape,
Chinese trumpet creeper, wisteria,
and climbing roses.
In addition to the above broad
leafed plants that loose their
leaves in winter there is another
group of hardy evergreens adopted
to the desert country that 1t is
also well to transplant in Decem-
Der and January. This Christmas
tree" group includes the casuarina
or beefwood, Aleppo pine, Arizona
cypress, Italian cypress, Monterey
cypress, and Chinese arbor vitae
The advantage gained by trans
planting these two groups of plants
when their growth is practically
at a standstill Is that their roots
then have the opportunity to get
at least partially established before
the spring growth and warmer
weather begin to make demands on
them for moisture and soil nu-
| trients. z. f,. ....
When transplanting of deciduous
plants is delayed until spring the
tops in many instances will i'm
mediately start growing before the
roots have gotten a foothold in the
soil. The reserve food and moisture
supplies within the plant itself
consequently are drawn upon SO
heavily that the plant often either
partially dies back or wholly sue
cumbS. -....-#
Another group many of which
are broad leafed evergreens and
some of which are native plants,
may be transplanted fall, winter,
OF early spring from late october
until mid April. The least desira-
BILE time however to transplant this
group is December and January.
Trees in this group include carob,
fig, loquat, Palo Varde, Jerusalem
thorn, Mesquite, California pepper,
Brazilian pepper, Bottle tree, silk
oak, and the southeastern live oak
| (Quercus virginiana). Shrubs ad-
| apted to this wider range of plant
ing dates are myrtle California pri-
vet, the brooms or genista, olean-
der, Holly leafed cherry, pyra-
cantas, and cotoneasters. Tender
Shrubs in this same group that
require protection on cold nights
if planted early include lantana,
hibiscus, Natal plum and Fremon-
tia Mexicana. Climbers that may
be transplanted over this wide Pc
riod include, catsclaw trumpet
creeper, japanese or Boston ivy,
Virginia creeper, Primrose jas
mine, climbing fig and japanese
honeysuckle. Tender climbers in
this group include Bougainyillea,
trailing lantana, and Rose-de-Mon-
tana. The caution is given, how
ever, that best success is had by
not delaying the planting of this
group until too late in the spring.
In addition there are q few sub
tropical trees including citrus, eu-
calyptus and olive that may be
transplanted in the fall and winter
as the prec eding group particular
ly If balltd and given sufficient
winter protection. 1t is. best, TO
transplant these three species from
February 10 to April Is and pre-
ferably in February. f.- .t Ga
The PAINS embracing the date
with it's half brother the canary
palm and their tribe of cousins
the fan leaf palms, are a group
unto themselves. They prefer that
the chill of winter be entirely gone
from the soil before they are NOV
ed to new locations. April Is TO
July l is their transplanting time.
It is emphasized that, possibly
with a few exceptions in the above
group of hardy evergreens. a heavy
pruning at the time of transplant
ing is practice that helps secure
success in getting the plants start
ed. With both bare root and balled
plants, there is heavy loss of the
fine feeder roots when a plant Is
dug out of the nursery. A heavy
initial pruning of the top there
fore Is necessary in order to have
no more foliage than the drastical-
ly reduced feeder root area can
support. The later IN the season
plant Is set out the less opportu-
nifty it has to reestablish its feeder
root system before top growth loc-
ours, and hence the heavier should
be its initial pruning. In later years
after plant is growing, heavy
pruning is justified on some plants
such as the rose in order to get
fewer but larger blossoms, or the
grapes in order to produce less but
better fruit, or on some ornamen-
tails in order to keep them small
and in bounds.
Because most plants need heavy
pruning when they are transplant
ed and a few require heavy prun-
ing for special reasons afterwards,
1t does not follow that all plants
require heavy pruning after they
are established. Heavy pruning of
older trees and shrubs Is one of
the main reasons that many trees