Great Low-Maintenance Trees to Plant in Any Yard

To create a perfectly serene and harmonious landscape design in your own yard is not an easy task to accomplish. To ensure your property and garden withhold that sense of peace and tranquility, there are certain factors you should seriously take into consideration. You want to design a yard that is both aesthetically pleasing as well as practical. When selecting trees and shrubs to plant, upkeep and maintenance of are important factors to consider during the selection process. Certain plants and shrubbery upkeep costs can be surprisingly staggering, and the failure to maintain said upkeep may result in the death of your plants and the collapse of your garden. We compiled a list of some of the best low-maintenance trees to plant in your yard this coming spring.

southeastern growers

Crape Myrtle: Lagerstroemia

Crape Myrtles add excellent aesthetic value to any property. These trees are true survivors, capable of surviving harsh sunlight, and even drought. They grow to be anywhere between 15-25 feet high, and 6-15 feet wide. One of their wonderful defining characteristics is their ability to bloom in the summer months, long after blooming season finishes for most other trees. Crape Myrtles bloom in purples, reds, pinks, and whites, offering an extensive selection of color for the perfect garden.

southeastern growers

Japanese Maple: Acer Palmatum

A deciduous shrub, or a small tree, Japanese Maples only grow to a height of 15-30 feet, but spread to 20 feet at maturity.  Widely used in Japanese and East Asian gardens, this tree adds just the right amount of grace and elegance to any yard. It’s attractive deep reddish, purplish foliage make it a great ornamental tree, creating visual interest to the entirety of its surrounding landscape. It is likely to thrive in most temperatures, except in climates where sunlight is potent and lengthy. Moist soil is ideal for a Japanese Maple to grow full and strong and offers some drought resistant qualities.

southeastern growers

Northern Red Oak: Quercus Rubra

Northern Red Oaks are solid trees that can rise up to heights of 300 feet and taller. Unfortunately if you plant it, you might never get to see the Red Oak fully mature, as it takes about 150 years – or more than a few generations. These trees are most revered for their shading abilities, and their beautiful red hue in the autumn months. Northern Red Oaks require little maintenance, and are true survivors through the test of time. You might not live long enough to enjoy their complete maturity, but they add true value to any garden at whatever stage.

southeastern growers

Japanese Flowering Cherry (Blossom): Prunus x Yedoensis

Another popular tree in Japanese and East Asian Gardens, Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees have become famous all throughout the world for their characteristically beautiful white-pink flowers. These trees are not very tall, but they can spread from 25-40 feet fully mature. Although these trees prefer moist and well-draining soil, they can tolerate and endure in less than ideal climates and soil conditions. Bugs like caterpillars and aphids are their biggest enemies, so try to keep their surroundings as pest free as possible. Their delicate, beautiful, stunning colors add aesthetic appeal to any garden.

southeastern growers

Eastern Red Cedar: Juniperus Virginiana

These trees can easily grow to heights of 40-50 feet, spreading between 8-20 feet. Perhaps the most resilient and adaptable tree, they are able to grow in just about any soil-type. Gardens often use the Eastern Red Cedar as a windbreaker, or screen against sun and wind. These trees love sunlight, so be sure to plant them in an area where they can absorb a lot of rays. Birds love the Red Cedar’s berries and foliage, making them a great dwelling space for all types of Aves. This beautiful tree can fit well in just about any garden.

If you liked this post, check out our site for more information on the trees we offer and tips on landscaping! Thanks for reading!

Tips For Planting Trees And Shrubs

container tree southeastern growers

Most trees and shrubs these days are grown in containers. This method of cultivation ensures that the roots do not get disturbed by anything in the ground or surrounding area, especially when selected for the planting process. While transferring from pot to ground isn’t too disruptive to the tree or shrub, they still require some help during the process.

Here are some of our best tips:

  1. Prepare the area: Your potential tree or shrub has been grown in a specific growing environment, optimized by the grower for the best results. You want the soil where you’re going to plant to be appealing to the tree. Churn up the soil in the entire area where your plant will sit at least as deep as the rootball of your tree, even deeper. Consider mixing in some compost or planting mixture to the soil in preparation.
  2. Water thoroughly BEFORE planting: Planting a tree or shrub with dry roots will make it more difficult to contain water in the future. Therefore, make sure the plant is thoroughly watered before placing it in the ground. If it is especially dry, water it until it is fully saturated and then plant.
  3. Dig a big enough hole: Always dig a hole bigger than your rootball ensuring that you have prepared the soil around the hole enough and when you pack the soil down around the roots, it wont get squashed or cramped in any way.
  4. To loosen or not to loosen: When removing your plant, you might consider loosening its roots but make sure you really take a look at the condition: is there a lot of soil between roots? If so, you might want to leave the rootball as is, so you disturb the roots as little as possible. However, if you take the rootball out and there are roots coiled around at the bottom or simply around the rootball, you can carefully spread the roots apart a bit so the roots grow out and away.

Planting Bulbs In Containers

growing plant southeastern growers

Container gardening can start with transferring your favorite plants into your choice of pot or container and maintaining it as necessary. OR, you can grow a plant by cultivating a bulb, growing your own flower, herb, fern, etc. from bulb to bloom – start to finish!

When considering planting bulbs, there are a few things to keep in mind: when, where, and how to plant the bulbs…

WHEN

Since you are planting indoors and in a container, you have ultimate flexibility when it comes to when you can plant and grow. Usually, when planting bulbs outdoors, you should be considering when those plants will be blooming. You do not have this concern with indoor growing, however, some bulbs do require chilling before planting in order to properly sprout and grow. Make sure you find out the necessary course of action with whatever bulb you plan on growing indoors.

WHERE

While planting bulbs in containers adds convenience to your gardening, there are still some stipulations you must adhere to. Some bulbs thrive in warm, sunny areas with great drainage; other bulbs may require cooler, more moist soil. So, while you can basically plant any time of the year with indoor container gardening, it is recommended to provide your plants with their ideal growing environment.

HOW

The majority of bulbs grow perfectly in containers, but there are some things you should keep in mind when cultivating your indoor garden.

  • Plant the bulbs deep enough (three times the bulb’s size) and one bulb (width) apart
  • Once your plant has grown, water it regularly (or as directed). Once the plant begins to wilt and enter dormant season, you can decrease watering (not entirely), but not enough to let it dry out completely.
  • Feed your bulbs with a liquid tomato feed (high-potassium) to ensure good blooms year after year, season after season.