Caring for your native plants
Congratulations on your recent native plant purchase! Whether you’re new to native plants, or need a refresher on the best way to care for your plants - this is where you’ll find all the details you need.
General Native Plant Care
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water your new first year plants a few times a week, possibly more often during the heat of the summer.
water slowly to avoid drowning out the plants, and helping to establish a deeper root system
Water in the morning, or evening. Avoid the heat of the day so water droplets don’t scorch your plants
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Keep the space around your new plants free of weeds.
Ensuring your native plant doesn’t have competition for at least their first year will help ensure they can grow into a strong and healthy plant.
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Place a natural mulch around your plants after planting
Reduces the amount of work for you in the first year and on by helping retain moisture in the soil, and keeping weeds down!
Natural mulch options include: leaves, wood chips, natural cedar mulch, layer of small sticks and twigs
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Pruning isn’t necessary in your plants first year. Just let them grow and do their thang!
Your first year plants will require the most maintenance and care (but its really not that much - I promise).
First Year Plants
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Check in on your plants maybe once a week to ensure they are still happy in their new home.
Watering should not be needed, unless there is an extended dry heat.
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Keep the space around your plants free of weeds.
Ensuring your native plant doesn’t have competition as they are expanding in size helping ensure they can continue to grow into a strong and healthy plant.
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Ensure you still have a good layer of natural mulch around your plants to retain moisture in the soil, and keep weeds down!
Natural mulch options include: leaves, wood chips, natural cedar mulch, layer of small sticks and twigs
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If you have enough growth, pruning is a choice, but not necessary. Feel free to let your native plants grow freely
You might consider pruning if you have a tree or shrub that you want to have a specific finished look
You may consider a ‘Chelsea Chop’ on plants that you would like to stay shorter and/or add more structure and blooms.
Chelsea Chop: Cutting the top 1/3 - ½ of the plant early in the season, usually late May - early June.
You may also choose to prune later in the season to remove seed heads, especially on those plants that are prolific seeders. I’d recommend at least keeping 1/3 of the seed heads to feed our song birds that overwinter and rely on them for winter food.
This year your plants will have enough strength and developed root structure to grow in size a bit - you might even get a few blooms!
Second Year Plants
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Watering should not be needed, unless there is an extended dry heat.
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If your plants still have space between them, keeping that empty space weed free will allow your plants less competition to grow and have some babies.
Consider laying more mulch if you want to keep space between plants and limit weeding.
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If your plants were/are planted densely enough, you may not need to add new mulch. When plants are nice and close to each other sun is blocked from reaching the soil meaning there is less room for weeds and more natural water retention.
If your mulch has broken down, consider adding a good layer of natural mulch around your plants to retain moisture in the soil, and keep weeds down (ie - less work for you)!
Natural mulch options include: leaves, wood chips, natural cedar mulch, layer of small sticks and twigs
-
If you have enough growth, pruning is a choice, but not necessary. Feel free to let your native plants grow freely
You might consider pruning if you have a tree or shrub that you want to have a specific finished look
You may consider a ‘Chelsea Chop’ on plants that you would like to stay shorter and/or add more structure and blooms.
Chelsea Chop: Cutting the top 1/3 - ½ of the plant early in the season, usually late May - early June.
You may also choose to prune later in the season to remove seed heads, especially on those plants that are prolific seeders. I’d recommend at least keeping 1/3 of the seed heads to feed our song birds that overwinter and rely on them for winter food.
Third year and beyond you’ll notice a significant leap in the growth of your plant, and if it hasn’t bloomed yet - buckle up! Your in for a real treat.
Third Year & Beyond
Check out our plant library to find your specific plant(s) growing requirements.
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