Gardendelightsnursery’s Blog
Just another WordPress.com weblogDouble morning glories
Morning glories are old fashioned favorites. Climbing vines with a profusion of trumpet shaped flowers with widely flaring faces. Colros are mainly blues and reds, but there are others, whites, pinks, and striped/banded patterns as well as those with dark or lighter centers. Here are discussed the really rare ones, those with double flowers. These are not at all common, even in the literature, and have pink or red double blooms. They are as easy to grow as the others and provide that vertical accent of color and function very well in narrow spaces and containers. Full sun is best, with ample watering and fertilizing to keep growth vigorous and blooms coming on in profusion. Split Second is the dbl pink and Sinrise Serenade is the dbl red. These bloom even younger/faster than the others. I have plants only a few inches tall that have bloomed! Of course, they need some kind of support to grow on and for their twining stems. You can plant them on a fence and they will spread out laterally when the vines reach the top of the fence. perfect for columns, stakes, even tall sturdy plants like shrubs, hollyhocks, sunflowers, corn or mix with pole beans on the post to give additional color besides veggie harvests. Season of bloom is a long one, from mid spring to frost. Save the seeds as sometimes that is the only way to be sure you have them to sow next year. They are not always regularly carried by seed catalogs, if at all. They can give added color to many shrubs. Spring flowerers are now made more colorful with these growing on top of them. Roses are another classic example and you can use these instead of clematis(which can be difficult sometimes). Summer flowering things like abutilons can now have color accents besides their own floral color. You can have deep blues or scarlet reds, or pinks, etc. to the color of those shrubs for a more brilliant floral display.
Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud’
Agapanthus are those tough ubiquitous plants that are flowering now and providing uncommon color in very common landscapes. They are used for freeway plantings, mall and shopping center plantings, parks, and so on, their common planting usually steers gardeners away from their use, at least in the typical forms available..the standard large types in bright blues and ivory white. Their large mass is both imposing and also provides bold impact in any landscape. They are tough, easy growing, AND planted nearly everywhere! That makes them second of evem third choices of consideration in any good garden planting. BUT, wait a minute! There are VERY nice, showy ones also available and not at all well known. Storm Cloud is one of them. It is a spectacular thing! Big, bold, imposing enough to give anyone that ‘WOW’ factor of impact when they see their first ones! Big clusters to perhaps 1 foot wide with dozens of bells in glowing deep cobalt blue violet. The petals are shiny and there are many blooms in each clulster. Additionally, this is a big bold plant, creating much drama and showiness wherever planted, especially in large groups! Bold strap shaped leaves in huge clumps are evergreen in mild areas, deciduous in colder areas. The flower clusters can be huge and abundant, especially if given ample watering and feeding. just imagine huge balls of shining glossy bell flowers in a huge round cluster, topping thick stems to perhaps 4 ft tall and you have an idea of what this plant can do in the landscape. Use it in any location you want to create drama and a stop in your tracks impact. I do not generally favor the usual agapanthus in any size, but this one is unique and different, good enough for the most discerning gardener, tough and easy care enough for even the novice (hard to kill plant) and offering great rewards when they bloom(mid to later season for agapanthus) There are others such as Negrita which are darker, but they appear as shadows (to me) since they do not have shiny petals (as in Storm Cloud). A. inapertus is likely in the parentage, since it has those glowing hues in the blossoms, Try it if you have a difficult space to plant in sun, along a country road, etc. Basic cultural needs, average water. (Remember, they are used in tough landscapes/ freeways, public parks, malls, etc. all areas which need tough plants.)
Those blossoms are quite showy, and make great combination plantings with things like summer blooming shrubs(pink or yellow, or some of the orange abutilons) and trees(pink crepe myrtles). Think of color combinations when you plant. Even common daylilies in orange or yellow hues work well with these! As do goldenrod and Japanese anemones, sunflowers, yellow leafed cvs. of heucheras, heucharellas, Black eyed susan(Rudbeckias), coreopsis, helenium. Just think of the color wheel for complement or contrast if you wish to try this wonderful variety!
Double Morning Glories
Morning glories are often considered old fashioned plants and they truly have been loved for generations. Never common, but nonetheless appreciated for their profusion of blooms(they increase in numbers as the summer progresses!), they do indeed provide a wonderful return for the effort of their cultivation. How many anual plants do you know that actually increase their blossom numbers as they mature? These double forms are RARE and choice. ‘Sunrise Serenade’ is the double red, and ‘Split Second’ is the double pink. Their flowers resembling carnations, or double petunias, even begonias or double camellias in some instances. As the vines grow, they produce more branches which increases the blossom production. These make useful temporary screens, or colorful vertical accents for one season! You can use them to climb up an unsightly fence, screen out unwanted views, or train up a post/column to give the added bonus of profuse flowers. The doubles are exceedingly rare and considered heirloom varieties. You will be hard pressed to locate any of them, but I have them growing at the nursery, getting ready to bloom. Additionally, I also have some of the single cvs. some of which have striped flowers, with streaks and bands of contrasting colors radiating out from the centers. Morning glories are long cultivated in Japan, where several strains exist. Some have huge flowers, in excess of 5-6 inches across, and often they have variegated foliage as well. The tradition is that they are purchased (or grown) to produce a long lasting display of flowers all summer and into frost(winter). Seeds are lovingly saved and sown the following year. The bright opening flowers only last a day, but they are profusely blooming. If planted in rich soil in a sunny location (in the ground), they increase in size and productivity. You can have dozens of blossoms each and every day to greet you first thing in the morning. Arrow shaped leaves are also attractive. These are easy care plants, just regular watering and occasional feeding will keep them growing vigorously and producing multitudes of flowers.
first summer fruits
With our very wet rainy spring our planting season got delayed, but things are growing and the harvest season is catching up fast! Even though it is late, get your veggies in, so you can have some kind of late harvest and enjoy Nature’s bounty and fresh summer’s taste! there is still time to plant every warm season crop. Tomatoes will be long in coming, but they are going to be anyway due to the rainy spring weather. Other things like blueberries are coming in now, harvest them fast to outwit birds if they discover your crop! Honeyberries are long gone, but growt the plants well from now on to get a big crop for next year!
Plumcots, early plums, early peaches, and apricots are ripening now so harvest them when fully ripe and enjoy the first sweet tastes of Nature! Plumcots are a taste treat, they are the first crosses of plums and apricots. The second crosses are called pluots (3/4 plum, apricot) and apriums(3/4 apricot, plum) and they ripen a little later. Early apricots are coming in now or soon. Also the first peaches are ready now or soon will be, Amazing how they did not fall behind with all that rainy weather in spring! Now the heatwave will really sweeten them up!
Alpine strawberries are in full harvest mode now. You will be able to smell the ripe fruits before you see them! /their taste is also concentrated, so even though smaller than storebought berries, their flavor is very INTENSE and a small amount fully satifies the most discerning gourmet.
I do have those brand new PINK blueberries to try as well. They have made excellent growth and are looking very nice, should bloom and fruit next year!
Pink Lemonade is the cv. name. and they are showier plants as well, They have bright reddish stems in winter (as opposed to green) and are ornamental in flower(spring), fruit (summer), and fall (leaves color up nicely with autumnal tints)
easy care in containers, you simply plant in acid soil mix and you satisfy those cultural needs as well! And you can move the plants around since they are portable in containers!
Japanese Maples (summer care)
I am often asked about the culture of Japanese maples. Many customers come in asking about problems they are having with theri plants and more often than not, it is some kind of root issue. These maples are easy care, needing little extra attention beyond ample watering with good drainage and reasonably fertile soil A lot of people think their plants have some kind of disease with branches dying off irregularly, when the basic problem is just additional watering. Remember these plants come from monsoon regions, so ample water is necessary for good growth. Good drainage is also needed and occasional fertilizer availability. It is very important to keep the plant well hydrated during heat waves, and some shading from hot intense sun will be of benefit as well. Drying dessicating strong winds are to be avoided if possible, remembering that these plants are from forested / open woodland area, appreciating the association of other plant species for some shelter from extremes in weather.
Any reasonably good fertlie soil will grow a good maple, keep in mind good drainage, especially during winter. Exposure to sun, heat is also worth considering, they do not like intense heat, sun for prolonged periods. A tip here is that where a maple leafs out is how sun tolerant its leaves will be. For example, if the plant leafs out in full sun, it will be sun tolerant, and if it leafs out in fun shade, it will not(those leaves will burn if relocated to sunnier position). An extreme example is a plant growing in the central valley, those leaves will be very thick and almost leathery, strong to take any conditions from sun to shade since they leafed out in a hot and drier environment. However, that same cv. leafing out on the coast, in shade will have thinner, more tender leaves and those will dry and shrivel if the plant is moved to a sunnier, hotter location. Ample watering will help, but maples are somewhat particular about their leaves and where they open out.
Manhy people do not even consider applying additional water to help an ailing plant. Thinking about where the species originate will greatly assist in any cultural questions you may have. Think monsoon, many species come from these ample rainfall areas and also need good drainage. Often times a customer will think their tree has verticillium wilt since the branches die back in an irregular fashion. True, there is an obvious root issue going on, but with some further questioning to gather more information, I usually discover that the plant watering regime has changed and now their once healthy and beautiful tree is having problems… Additional watering is the first remedy I recommend before doing anything else. That usually solves the problem. Maples can get diseases, insect problems, but with obvious symtoms like that branch dying irregularly, a root issue is more than often the problem and easily corrected.
Soil for maples need not be extremely fertile. Any reasonably good soil will grow a good maple.
And poorer soils can have supplemental fertilizer applied to give better growth.
Shading for younger plants is recommended. They are more sensitive to climate extremes like intense hot sun. You will get better growth and appearance if you give some shade to young plants, especially during the heat of the day, hot afternoon sun.
Any all purpose fertilizer can be used for maples, a time release type is often convenient and will supply food to the plant for an extended period.
I prefer to apply fertilizer while maples are in a full flush of growth. There are plenty of actively growing feeder roots and leafy tops to absorb the fertlizer and promote perhaps a second flush of growth. I recommend using less than the recommended amount, but applied a little more frequently. A little goes a long way with maples. Too much can burn the roots. Watering the plants before fertilizer application is recommended and then watering in well that fertilizer after it has been applied is a good way to insure you will not burn the roots. Think of fertlizer as salt. (It is) and when you get some salt in a wound, it stings) well same thing for maples,,,, roots will burn if not well watered both in the plant and in the soil. And a well watered plant will disseminate that fertilizer well into the plant so it can be used to the utmost opportunity in the plant.
Pruning in summer. Well this is a large topic and I will give a few tips and answer the rest later. With vigorous shoots on a young plant, people often ask what should I prune off? I will answer back NOTHING! if you do not want a bigger tree, by all means prune off that ‘leggy’ shoot growth. But if you want your tree to reach maximum dimension at maturity, you do not prune those branches. Even though they look leggy now, they will branch and be more beautiful in the few years following. Just be patient and let the tree do its growing and they often shape themselves well with little or no attention to pruning, they do it all by themself! Now there are instances where a bit of small corrective pruning will be beneficial. Narrow crotch branches are to be avoided on all trees, shrubs, and pruning on of these branches back to be less dominant or removing altogether will benefit the eventual mature structural branching. To help conceal pruning cuts, I recommend this, prune vigorous shoots to a leaf above a leaf if you wish to have invisible pruning cuts later as that branch grows. You can save the more upright branch if you wish to add height (as in most weeping dissectums) or keep the outward branch if you wish to add width
on the more upright growers. Thkk of the mature dimension of the tree and that will be a good guide for you. Doubtless you will make mistakes, we all do and that is how you learn. Be conservative in what you prune, (remember, maples do not generally need much pruning at all)To widen a branch, prune to side by side leaves on vigorous shoots or to small side by side branches. This technique is useful to make a narrow branch wider, thus enjoying the leaves in a flatter, wider plane to be viewed.
Maples are a very large group, second only to orchids and within this big group, the Japanese maple group is very large, numbering over 1,000 cvs. and more come every year. To organize the huge number of cvs. available, they are grouped into similar growth types. There are dwarfs, spring color groups, variegatedsm dissectums(the very elegant weeping laceleaf types), cascading types(these often have larger leaves, elegantly and deeply cleft giving a very lacy effect to the texture of the plant and many also have a weeping, cascading canopy once some height is achieved in the juvenile growth stage, standard upright growers which can be very tall in some cvs. and the unusual group which serves as a catch all for the rest.
There is a maple for every landscape situation, need, and personal taste!
Later dogwoods, evergreen dogwoods
Dogwoods are one of the best selections you can plant. They have a year round quality and change their appearance throughout the year. Spring is a profuse floral display in whites, pinks, or yellows. Most people plant Cornus florida, the eastern native species, but that does not grow so well for us in the west. The native C. nuttallii is also temperamental about cultural conditions and often dies if these are not met exactly. What I recommend here are the hybrids (C. florida x C. kousa and C. nuttallii x C. kousa) as well as C. kousa in its great variety, and C. capitata(the more common evergreen) and C. angustata (which is like an evergreen C. kousa). C. kousa cvs. are later blooming dogwoods. The same for the evergren species and cvs. They are in full bloom now, or just beginning. Their later bloom period extends the floral season and they tend to stay in bloom much longer, up to and over 1 month. Here you will find excellent subject with year round quality for the landscape. they have wonderfully profuse displays of blossoms in spring, then showy ornamental reddish fruits in summer, fall and even into winter, and fall colors, and then attractive horizontal branching with delicate twigs arranged in eye catching tiers which hold dew, raindrops or frost crystals like thousands of mini Christmas lights all over the tree. Flower bracts(what look like petals) are pointed and star shaped. They can be white or pink. They can also last a very long time! Over 1 month in good condition is not unusual. Foliage is attractive in dark glossy green, many cvs. have attractive white glaucous leaf undersides which flash their color in the breeze. They are moderate growers of easy care, provided you give them plenty of water(think monsoon) and good drainage, and fertile soil. They will grow well and actually bloom better in full sun(more sun, more water, = more flowers) The variegated forms will appreciate some shading from the hot afternoon sun to help prevent sunburn on the leaves. Then you just sit back and wait for them to mature. The mature dimension for most dogwoods is 20 ft tall x 20 ft wide and it takes some years to fill that space, but each year gets better and better as the plants grow. There are also weeping and dwarf forms, all showy in their way.
The evergreen species and cvs. are wonderful accents and specimen plants for any landscape. They offer all the wonderful attributes of dogwoods, but have the additional advantage of holding their leaves year round(for those that want a small evergreen tree). Flowers are also profuse in display and here is where you can find the yellow tones in the blossoms. C. capitata has light yellow flowers, medium gray green foliage, and makes a larger tree in time/ great age. up to 45 ft tall and wide by some British mentions on trees 100 years old. Tens of thousands of blossoms all over the tree. Truly spectacular. The cv. Mountain Moon is a lavish selection with very large, lush blossoms in ivory white. The foliage is also attractive in dark shiny leathery leaves, and provides a very attractive backround to those blooms. C. Summer Passion is another evergreen of entirely different appearance. It is finer textured with its wavy, very gossy leaves. In winter they are purple, the new growth is coppery, aging to bronze green, mature leaves are dark shiny and wavy. Growth habit is slender upright, main branches arch outward, and the branchlets are pendulous and full. This branchig habit is distinct and allows the pristive white star like blossoms to be seen to advantage easily as they face the viewer. (Other dogwoods tend to hold blooms on top of the horizontal branches so you get the best view of them from above the branches.)
The tree is narrow in spread and looks like a Ficus benjamina to the casual observer, but it is wonderfully spectacular!
C. angustata is an evergreen C. kousa. No higher praise could be given. Horizontal branches and star like blossoms in white and profuse are its hallmarks.
All of these are easier care and give great rewards for the cultivation effort. And you get the benefit of having a small tree that all your neighbors will enjoy as much as you do!
weeds
When it comes to coping with weeds, I prefer the lazy gardener’s approach. What that entails is this, you observe Nature and do a couple things. Recognizing that weeds produce a lot of seeds, you get them before they set seed/go to seed. This can be spraying them, or weed whacking them down. I like the approach of after doing this, you cover them with cardboard or newspaper, then mulch on top of that with a 3-4 inch layer of mulch material. YWhat you are doing is burying the weeds and their dormant seeds. I have heard that weed seeds can live up to 25 years! so you will constantly battle them for at least several years before you can get ahead. And one important point is that when you dig into the soil to get deep roots out, you are actually bringing up more weed seeds from below! So they will also sprout soon, making your weeding more difficult. So mulching and a layer of newspaper are the easy way to go. If you want to plant somethign, just dig your hole through the mulch and paper/cardboard and you can easily plant your new plant!
Amazingly this works very well!
drip irrigation
Water conservation and wise usage is prudent at any level and with gardening, and water shortages in drought years, this becomes a paramount issue to be addressed if we are to have wonderful gardens. Drip, low pressure, micro irrigation, low volume irrigation systems are all names by which this method of watering is known. What is basically means is the most efficient use of water on a lower pressure system. There have been many developments since the beginnings years ago. I will give an overall general overview to help those decide what needs they have and some bit of education so that they will have a pretty good idea of what to ask for when they go shopping for materials.
These irrigation systems greatly reduce water waste and get water to the plant for optimum growth.
There are several features to be aware of when deciding upon a system then setting it up. Pressure compensating emitters help insure that the same flow rate at the beginning of the system is the same as the emitter flow at the end. This promotes an even distribution of water to the entire watered area.
Try to make sure that there is some kind of flushing feature. Self flushing will save a lot of time, while manual flushing operations are good, they need regular maintenance. A check valve will let all the emitters come on at the same time and also prevents low area emitters from draining out giving too much water on that end.
One of the benefits of using these types of irrigation systemsis that it may have benefits to home owners in associations, and also a possible savings in some water districts. Knowing the differences in using a gallons per minute verses a gallons per hour usage in a system has obvious benefits to even the newly introduced and young gardeners. Consider the type of landscape you wish to water. Drought tolerant species and Mediterranean climate species plants afford naturally conserving plant materials, and succulents and cactus provide the benefit of fire deterrance as well. In a more water loving landscape, you can either increase the time of water application, or provide more emitters to those individual plants, while still saving water compared to traditional watering systems. There is much variety in the type of actual water lines to the plants available. Direct from a main line with emitters on that main line is often used, but more common is the smaller tubing(spaghetti lines connected to those larger lines to get water to the plants. There is also micro spray heads which look like miniature versions of pop up sprinkler heads. i.e. full circle, half circle, quarter circle, etc.
A controller valve is usually necessary and typical of low pressure systems, and a backflow preventer is recommended to keep water used in irrigation from flowing back into the drinking water source. Drip irrigation can also be used to water large containers, saving the owner from tedious hours of watering when they could be doing something more enjoyable!
Filters of some kind are recommended since the holes in emitters are typically much smaller than on conventional sprinklers, cloggin up much easier unless a filter is in the system to keep debris out of the water lines and prevent clogging of the emitters.
Installation of a drip system is fast and generally easier than digging trenches for pipes, then installing pop up sprinkler heads. You buy your coil of main lines, perhaps smaller spaghetti lines, emitters, steel staples to hold the lines in place, filters, valves, maybe a controller/timer, and you are about done. Drip flex line is easy to install and maleable to get to where the plants are. And when you run that first test, it is simple to see if all plants got emitters, all the emitters are working(applying water), and then you can cover the small lines with mulch. One innovative tip is to run the main lines a perimeter around structures, the house, fence, etc. that way you know where they are, then run small lines to the plants from that straight line base. Int ime, when mulched, et. covered with sprawling plants, you can find the lines easier and not dig into them by mistake if you are adding new plants.
Those are the basic tips and items to remember when installing any drip system. There are all kinds of options. The rest is a matter of choice! Some people prefer one type of equipment over another. Personal preferences!
small size plants
Most people easily recognize the showy plants which they see around the landscapes and gardens as they go about their daily travels. Less noticed are the small size plants. These diminutive jewels are often passed over because they are so small in stature. Yet, these plants often have such captivating features that there will always be a ollowing for them. Rock gardening fans will recognize them immmediately, but the fascination does not end there. Succulent growers and hosta fanatics will also know of these minis and so will a large number of gardeners, whether or not they recognize that they actually fancy these gems of plants. So often their size makes us quickly pass over them and miss their attributes. But setting them off somehow, makes us pause and take notice. This is typically done in rock gardening with a raised bed of some sort, and for most of us, the simpler solution is to grow them in containers so they can be closer to eye level and better scrutiny. Small stature does not necessarily mean low interest in foliage or flowers. More often than not, these have very interesting foliages and flowers. Think of miniature hostas. They get lost when grouped with their bigger kin, but when grown as specimens in small containers, they really shine! They actually do look like tiny gems of plants! And succulents, while many seem boring as los to the ground plants in the garden landscape, when set off in tiny pots so they show up individually, their geometry of foliage carriage and colors and often hairyness brings them to new interesting heights for all to enjoy. The same for any of these small mini plants! And they make perfect sense for all of us, especially those with limited gardening space. These same plants can be tiny jewels on a desk, or a shelf. In Japan, they were favored as mini bonsai and collectables over the centuries. Obvscure things like Rohdea japonica, species Cymbidiums, Ardisia, etc. were all collected, cherished and any new and different form was eagerly added to a growing collection. The same holds true for gardeners everywhere.
Two breakdowns in the catagory of these plants makes growing them easier. Think sun or shade. Plants from shady areas will appreciate more moisture(with good drainage) and less sun on their leaves. Plants from sunnier habitats will like more light. Many of these plants will tolerate more or less sun or shade, and that is just a bit of trial and error when culturing them for yourself. Ferns, hostas, saxifrages, acorus, heuchera, heucharella, species cyclamen, pleiones, decientra, all like shadier environments and will associate nicely together if you plant a mixed container, or group them individually together.
Sunnier species (can also include heuchera, aeonium(the small ones), echevieria, sedum(the small ones), sempervivum, cotula, veronica(the low growing ones), mimulusr(the short species) bulb species like alliums, freesia, crocus, muscari, babiana, sparaxis, dwarf ivies, rock ferns, very miniature cvs. of many shrub species and so many more can be included here. And do not forget the great group of herbs. Many of them are sun loving and low and compact, nicely grouping/associating with other sun loving species.
With all of these, watering is very important on a regular basis. Indoors it is less demanding but still important. Drainage is also important. Water well and thoroughly, but let excess drain away, not stand in a saucer under the container. If you have a container without drainage holes, be a little more careful with watering. or just simply insert another smaller conatiner inside the other and add some gravel at the bottom so the smaller container sits atio the mound of gravel and can let excess water not collect around the pot inside the larger one. (if it does, simple remove the smaller container, then drain off the excess water, then place the small ot back into the larger one.
care and planting a living Christmas tree
Many people choose the option of purchasing a living Christmas tree with the idea to plant it out in their gardens after the holidays. Here are some tips for planting the tree. First remove the tree from indoors as soon as possible and either plant it immediately or locate it in a shady spot out of the wind. Remember that most of the trees roots were severed and left in the growing field, so it will need a bit of extra care the first year especially, while it becomes established in your garden. Choose the site carefully before you plant. You should remember to consider the ultimate dimention the tree will be when mature and allow for that space. Be sure not to plant under power lines, too close to buildings, roofs, etc. Make sure the spot is well drained(remember that many of these are forest trees in the native habitat and have excellent drainage where they grow naturally. When digging your planting hole, remember to do this when the soil is not overly saturated, soggy, muddy. If the rains have not let up enough, just delay planting if your soil is too wet(but do keep the tree well watered and shaded)
If planting must be delayed, you can keep direct hot sun off the canopy with an old sheet, don’t use a tarp unless it is out of the direct sun as this can heat the tree up unnecessarily.
Make your planting hole wider than deep. This allows for ample room when backfilling the soil into the planting hole. You can make a cone/hill in the center of that hole for the root ball to rest on while you check height of the crown of the tree. You should plant slightly higher than surrounding grade as this will take into consideration the soil settling over time. When it finally settles completely, it wil be at grade, or just slightly above, which is what you are striving for.
If the tree is very tall, you can stake it. Use two stakes at each end of the hole across the diameter of the hole. Avoid piercing the root ball if possible.
Before you plant, look to see if the soil in the root ball is of a similar type to your soil. If not, you can semi bareroot the plant. taking off excess around the soil ball and exposing the roots somewhat. That rootball probably covered in burlap(which is fine) any organic material is ok, and you need to peel that down around the sides so later when it gets warmer, the material does not wick out soil mositure(that happens if it is exposed to the air, drying out the rootball prematurely, and the plant dries up too!) Removing string and excess burlap is recommended, but if buried, it will eventually decompose and turn into humus.
As you backfill the soil, you can add a small amount of soil amendment such as fir bark, but not excessivley. Mix the amendment well before you backfill. Level the tree so it is straight and at the height you want when planting is complete. Face the tree to give the best side toward the viewer/landscape. Begin to backfill soil a little at a time. You can settle the soil by watering the backfill as you go in intervals. This is Nature’s way, using water to settle soil and still leave soil structure for air spaces for the roots. Heavily compacting the backfill soil is bad for the roots. They need oxygen in the soil to live and grow and heavy compaction destroys soil structure. Continue backfilling and watering in until you have reached soil grade. You do not need to form a basin, just place a slow running hose at the base above the root ball to water when it is needed and the soil dries out a bit. If the rains stop and weather turns warm and dry, do spray the tree with water in the morning and evening to provide extra humidity for the foliage. (think snow/rains in the mountains where they grow wild, at this time of year)
The tree will not need excessive amounts of water, but be sure to water deeply when you do, making sure the root ball is well watered each time it dries out somewhat. Do not over water. Just test this by sticking your finger deeper into the planting area to check for moisture.
