GARDENING BASICS
Planting
Lightly amend sandy soil with organic matter
Gently remove plants from containers, keeping the root ball intact
Loosen potting soil and roots around bottom and edges of root ball
Plant level with surrounding soil, spreading roots outward
Fill around roots with lightly amended native soil
Water to settle soil around roots
Cover area with 1-3 inches of mulch
Don’t mound mulch onto the plant's stem/trunk
Water deeply to establish and check daily until established
Watering
Fast-growing herbaceous plants require water than woody plants
When possible, water in the morning to avoid promoting diseases
Water slowly and deeply when plants begin to wilt
Watering twice, a few minutes apart, helps water soak in deeper
Use soaker hoses and drip irrigation for efficient and water-conservative
Overwatering causes root rot
Mulches to reduce water evaporation in hot or dry weather
Form a soil "ring" around newly planted trees and shrubs plants to hold water

Pruning
Always sterilize pruning tools to prevent transmission of disease
As a general rule never remove more than 1/3 of a plant’s height at once
Cut or pinch back Tall or leggy plants to stimulate new
growth
Cut or pinch plant stems just above leaves or old leaf joints
Thin excess growth so remaining growth will be more vigorous
"Deadhead" - remove faded flowers or seed heads to stimulate new flowering
Remove dead, faded, or diseased foliage as needed
Remove some foliage during transplanting to reduce stress on new roots
Clean up plant debris to reduce pest or disease buildup
Don’t put diseased plant parts in your compost