Gardening with mature plants

You need to pay attention to the type of soil in which you will be planting in the transplanted mature plants because poor soils will affect their growth. Below are palms which are some of the plants you can grow in a mature garden. NET PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Some people do not have the patience to wait for plants to grow. If you are this kind of person, you can opt for a mature garden.
  • While considering to plant a mature garden, you must be careful about the type of plants you choose because such a garden requires transplanting; Natukunda warns that there are some plants that cannot be transplanted.

You could have moved into a new house and all you want is a mature garden. You do not have to wait because it is very possible to have a fully grown garden in a matter of days. The fully- grown trees or shrubs are attractive and can provide privacy in an exposed garden.
Claire Natukunda, a landscape designer with Nuwell Impressions Limited, says mature gardens are trending and more people appreciate them depending on the functionality they intend to serve.

The plants you can use
While considering to plant a mature garden, you must be careful about the type of plants you choose because such a garden requires transplanting; Natukunda warns that there are some plants that cannot be transplanted.
“Not all plants can be transplanted. Plants with tap root are usually hard to transplant because their roots go deep into the soil. Any attempt to uproot such a plant may damage it roots so it will automatically wither and die.”
Plants with compound and fibrous roots are suitable for mature gardens because they have a lot of supporting roots, once some are damaged, the support roots can easily adapt to the new environment.
“One should consider plants with shorter and more roots. The more the roots, the easier transplanting becomes. Succulents, palms and acacia are suitable for mature gardens because they have shallow and fibrous roots that make transplanting easy,” says Natukunda.

Maintenance
Mature plants are prone to hard environments. They must be well cared for. Such plants need as much water as possible so they must be watered every morning and evening. This is because they are now in an environment they have not been used to.
“Adequate water is a critical factor. It is just as easy to kill a tree or shrub with too much water as with too little, you therefore need to watch out for the soil type. Heavy clay soils do not absorb water very well, so overwatering is more likely to happen if the soil type is clay,” she says.
Mature plants need a lot of manure to help them adapt to the new environment and also to boast the root system of the plant. Ensure enough sunlight requirements by determining how much average daily sun exposure the new location receives.
Transplanted trees or shrubs may take several years to fully recover from being moved. The plant may not bloom or produce new growth until it adjusts to the new environment.

Preparing the hole
The hole should be big enough to accommodate all the roots but should be prepared in such a way that the plant will be able to adapt to the new environment.
The hole can be filled with a layer of clay to create a smother surface for the roots when they start spreading. Also the clay helps avoiding flooding in case you have over watered the plant.
A layer of manure and black soil as well as mulch around the base of the new plant will help retain moisture and moderate soil temperature. This will in turn promote root growth. Keep the mulch pulled a couple of inches away from the trunk.
Natukunda cautions that, “Do not plant a tree or shrub deeper in a new planting hole than it was originally. Planting it deeper than its original soil line creates a basin that can collect too much water and this will get overwatered and die.”

Best plant choice
One should consider plants with shorter and more roots. The more the roots, the easier transplanting becomes. Succulents, palms and acacia are suitable for mature gardens because they have shallow and fibrous roots that make transplanting easy