Our PromiseWestandbehindthequalityofour plants and ensure that when you take them home each plant is healthy and true to its name. We’ll help you find the rightplantfortherightplaceandgive yougrowingadvicesoyoucanhave success in the garden.

Your ResponsibilityWe cannot warranty plants against condi-tions that are beyond our control. (ie, animal damage, weather, plants left in their original pot too long without proper care, improper planting, placementorcare.)Toprotectyourinvestment,please use our recommendations to help your plantsthrive.• Water properly: Follow our watering

instructions.• Protect your plants from animal damage:

use chicken wire or other protection• Mulch correctly:avoidsmotheringplant(s)withtoomuchmulch,donotmulchatbaseorwithin 2” around plant.

• Plant within 2-3 days of purchase in the conditionstheplantisbestsuited.

WarrantyWe offer a one-time store credit for the plant purchasepriceoftheplantthatfailed.Thereceiptand the entire plant must accompany all requests for credit. If you are unsure, email pictures to: grow@thegrowingplace.com.• Trees, shrubs, & evergreens: Warranty for

one year from date of purchase.• Perennials & roses: Warranty for the current

growing season. (Growing season defined as April1-October1)

• Annuals, herbs, vegetables, and trees/shrubs/perennials used in containers are notcoveredunderthewarranty.

Returns & ExchangesItemsforreturnorexchangemustbeinoriginalcondition.Receiptrequired.Becauseplantsarelivingthings, we cannot accept returns on plants that havebeenleftintheirpotstoolongwithoutpropercareorplantsthathavealreadybeenplanted.• Cash/credit card refund within 7 days

for live material and hard goods: Receipt required.Plantoritemmustbeinthesamecondition and container as purchased.

• Store credit within 30 days for hard goods: Receiptrequired.Itemmustbeinthesame condition and packaging as purchased.

• Holiday Greens & Designer-created Containers: Refund within 24 hours. Receipt required.

Selecting, Planting & Watering TipsThe Growing PlaceGrowing for the future with right plants in right places

Know your garden’s sunlight and soil conditions, as wellasplantneedsbeforemakingyourselections.

Light Conditions•Full Sun: 6+hoursofsunanytimeduringtheday/southandwestsidesofbuildings.

• Part shade: Lightly filtered sun or 3-5 hours of morning sun, sometimes found on the east side ofbuildingsandunderthelightshadeoftrees.

•Full Shade: 1-3 hours of sun anytime during the day, usually on the north side of homes, betweenbuildingsorundertrees.

Soil and Moisture Conditions•Average Soil: Weconsideravarietyofsoilstobeaverage,rangingfrompredominantlyclayto loam soil that has a nice mix of clay, silt, sand andorganicmaterials.Plantslabeled‘Averagesoil’ will tolerate a large range of soil types.

•Well-drained Soil: Thissoiltypewillhaveabalancedcontentofsand,siltand/ororganicmaterial, allowing it to drain easily. Plants that needwell-drainedsoilwillnotsurviveifplantedin poorly drained sites.

•Moist, Well-drained Soils: Thissoiltypecanbefoundnearwatersources,depressionsandshady woodland areas. High organic, silt and possiblysandcontentallowswatertosoakin,andbeavailablethroughmostofthegrowingseason while draining slowly.

•Wet Soil: Usually found in low-lying areas and often comprised of predominantly clay. Water is retained for a period of time, especially during seasons of higher moisture.

•Dry Soil: Drysoilscanbefoundatthetopofslopes,undertrees,nearpavementandundereaves.Thesesoilsabsorbwater,butdrainquicklyandexcessively.Wetsoilcanbecomedrysoilduring extend periods without rain.

Selecting The Right Plant For The Right Place

Root flare

For Balled & Burlapped and Container Tree & Shrub Planting• Usingthesoilclaysoilfromthelowerpartoftheholefirstthenthesoil fromthetoppart,firmlypackmoreofitinuntilevenwithgroundlevel.

• Formasoilbasinwith2”-3”ofsoil4”-6”outsidetheedgeof the planting hole to help make watering easier.

• Waterthoroughlyafterplanting.• Mulchwith2”-3”barkmulch,

keeping mulch from plant stems.

Planting InstructionsDo not plant if the soil is soggy wet. One way to tell if soil is too wet is to squeeze it. If it is sticky and holds its shape it is too wet. Working the soil when it’swetwillremoveairspacesandcreatehardedgeswhendrymakingitdifficultforrootstogrowintoit.

Balled and Burlapped Planting Tips• Findtherootflareandremoveanydirtthatisontopofit,thenmeasurethedepthoftheball.

Container Planting Tips• Removefromcontainerandfindrootflarefortrees.Removesoilabovetheflare,thenmeasurethedepthofthepot.

Balled & Burlapped Planting Tips• Afterplacinginhole,remove ropes,tophalfofthewirebasket, andexposedburlap.

Container Planting Tips• Placetreeintheholesothatthe upperrootsarejustbelowground level.Forshrubs,plantthemno deeper than they are in the container.

For Balled & Burlapped and Container Tree Planting• Pound3stakesintotheground.• Usepiecesofhoseorprotector

for trunk and wire or rope.

Dig a slopedhole3timesaswideasthepotbutnodeeper.

Clay from lower part of the hole

Mix Espoma® Bio-tone into the soil. Amendmentsshouldbeaddedtotheplantingbed.

Soil from top part of hole.

Rough up the sides of hole to removeglazingcausedbythebackoftheshovel.

Root Preparation for All Plants – Don’t Forget to Tease the Roots!• Iftheplant’srootsarecircling,pry

them apart and spread out in your planting hole.

•Iftherootsarethickeranddense, cuttingtherootsverticallyworkswell.

• Tiefirmlytotheverticalpartofthetrunk.• Removeafter1year.

Naturalmulchesbenefitalltheplantsinyourgarden. Werecommendthatyouselectmulchthatisanaturalby-product andnotpainted.Ourmulchesareeco-friendlyrecycledby-productsofthelumberandpaperindustries.Weliketousehardwoodorpine mulch. We do not recommend Cypress Mulch as it is damages southernCypressGroves.CAUTIONS:•Stoneandgravelusedasmulchcanelevatesoiltemperature.•Plasticsheetingcancreatesterilesoilconditions,killingbeneficialmicroorganisms.•Paintedmulchescanhavecarcinogens.•Keepmulchawayfromthebaseofplants.

For Trees and ShrubsKeepa2”-3”layerofmulcharoundyourtreesandshrubs.Fortrees, themulchedareashouldgrowasthetreegetslarger.Idealwouldbe up to the drip line.

For Annuals and PerennialsKeepalayeroffinelyshreddedTGPGardenCompostMixorpinefines,1”-2”inyourgardenbeds.Besuretokeepthemulchawayfromthestemsandcrownsofplantstoavoidinsectproblems,fungaldiseases and suffocating the plants. If you are sowing seeds, do not mulchuntiltheplantshaveseveralsetsofleavesandtheplantshavebeenthinnedforspacing.Weedregularlyorweedsmayoverwhelmyourseedlingsbeforetheyareestablished.

Mulching Guidelines

Thebestthingyoucandofornewplantsisimprovethesoiltheygrowin.Werecommend2”-3“ofamendmentsshouldbeaddedandmixedintoanyareawherethatispossible.Thisisespeciallytrueforheavyclaysoilsandperennial,annualorvegetablebeds.Organicamendments add nutrients and loosen soil so roots can grow easier. Espoma® Bio-tone is importantforallplantingasitwillencouragerootgrowth.Plantsneedtoestablishhealthyrootsfirsttosupportvigoroustopgrowth.NOTE: Mostnewperennials,treesandshrubsdonotrequirefertilizingthefirstyear,thereis often fertilizer already in their containers. Onlyannualsandvegetablesneedageneraltopgrowthfertilizersoonafterplantingbecausetheyonlyhaveoneseasontogrow.Askforour“RecipeforGreatSoil”handoutformoreinformation.

Feeding the Soil – Fertilizing

No volcano mulch! Correct way to mulch.

Perennial and Annual Planting Tips• Whenplantingpottedperennialsandannuals,allowthecontainer soiltodryslightlythenremovetheplant.

• AddBiotoneandamendments,thenmixintotheplantingareaorbed.Dig a planting hole no deeper than the pot.

• Don’tforgettoteasetheroots!Iftheplant’srootsaretightlycircling,gently pry them apart and spread out in your planting hole. Cutting therootsverticallywillalsowork.(seeillustration)

• Breakupanylargeclumps.Lightlyfirmthesoilaroundtheplant.Makesurethatyoukeepthesoillevelthesameasitwasinthecontainer.

• Ifyourperennialisinbudorbloomwhenyouplantit,considercuttingtheseandenjoyingtheminavase.Thisallowstheplanttofocusenergyon growing roots.

• Waterthoroughlyafterplanting.Seethewateringsectionofthisbookletfor more details.

Grafted Rose Planting Tips • Almostallhybridtea,floribundaand

grandiflora roses are grafted, along with a fewclimbingroses.Thegraft/bud(resemblesanenlargedsectionatthebase).Thegraftshouldbeplacedatleast6”belowsoillevel,requiring a deep planting hole.

• Mulchtherosewith2”to3”offinebarkorcompostavoidingthebaseoftheplant.Grafted roses require winter protection in our area. We recommend a thicker mound ofmulchorsoilcanbemoundedoverthecrown of the plant once the ground has frozen solid.

Own Root Rose Planting Tips• Rosesgrownontheirownroots(nograft/bud)shouldbeplantedatthesamesoillevelastheyareinthepot,orjustslightlydeeper.Theydonotrequire additional winter protection.

• Allrosesshouldbewateredwellafterplanting.Roseswillnotbehappy inheavysoils,addamendmentsbeforeplanting.

Graft/bud 6”below the surface

Naperville Aurora 25w471 Plank Rd 2000 Montgomery Rd Naperville, IL 60563 Aurora, IL 60504 630.355.4000 630.820.8088

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How to Know If Your Plants Need Water Dig down 1”- 2” underneath the mulch and feel the soil. If the soil is wet, you don’t need to water. (Wet soil will stick together when squeezed.) You can also use a moisture meter to check if you need to water. When the indicator reads [1] or [2] watering is needed.

How to Water Know your plant’s moisture needs. Some plants need more water than others. Plants under trees may require more water.• Whensoilfeelsdrywaterslowlyanddeeply.Allowthewaterto

pool and sink in at least three times. Be sure to water out past edge of plants. Watering deeply encourages roots to grow deeper.

• Ifyouhaveshreddedmulchoveryourbeds,youmayneed tobreakupthecrusttogetwaterthroughtothesoil.

• Keepwaterofftheleaves.Thisreducesdiseases.• Waterinthemorning,givingfoliagetimetodryespeciallyif

using sprinklers.

When to Water Existing Plantings• Besuretowaterifwehavenothadsignificantrainin2weeks.Makesuretocheckonplantsthatwereinstalledtheprevious yearmoreoften,oronesthatespeciallylovewater.Inmany cases, these plants will need a little extra attention.

• Ifnoraincontinues,wateragainwhenthesoilisdry 1”-2”belowthesoilsurface.

•Makesurewatergetsthroughmulchintothesoil.• Wateringbyhandisagoodwaytolearntheneedsofeach

plant in your garden and it uses less water. If using a sprinkler, run just long enough to equal an inch of rain. You can test how muchwateryoursystemdeliversbyusingaraingauge.

When to Water New Plantings Plantsinstalledthisyearhavehigherwaterneedsbecausetheirrootsystemshavenotgrownmuchfurtherthantheoriginalpotarea.

• First Day:Waterslowlyanddeeplyafterplanting.Allowthewaterto pool and sink in at least three times. Be sure to water out past edgeofplants.Treesandshrubswillonlyneedtobecheckedevery3 days for the first month and then check weekly thereafter.

• Week 1: Checkdaily.Onlywaterwhensoilisdryabout1”-2”underthesurface,waterslowlyanddeeply.(Testwithyourfingeror a moisture meter.)

• Week 2:Checkevery2days.Onlywaterwhensoilisdryabout1”-2” under the surface. Water slowly and deeply.

• Week 3: Checkevery3days.Onlywaterwhensoilisdryabout1”-2” under the surface. Water slowly and deeply.

•Ongoing: During the rest of season, check once a week.

• Callusifyouhaveanyquestions.We’rehappytohelp.

Drooping or Yellowing LeavesLimp,hangingoryellowingleavesmayindicateeithertoomuchortoo little water. Check the soil two inches under the mulch. If it is dry, water the ground slowly and deeply. If it is wet, do not water until the soil has had time to dry out. You can also thin or loosen mulch so air can help dry out wet soils.

Watering Instructions

Protecting Your New Plantings From RabbitsNewplantingsareespeciallyvulnerabletorabbits.Youngleavesshouldbeprotectedinspringandsummer.Branchesshouldbeprotectedfor the winter. Use a trunk protector on young trees for the winter.Use chicken wiretophysicallykeeprabbitsaway.Thewireneedstobeatleast20”highandshouldbeasclosetothebaseoftheshrubaspossibletopreventtherabbitfromjumpinginside.Itisalsoagoodideatofoldabout6”flatawayfromyourgardenandburyit1”belowthesurface to stop them from digging under the wire. Repellentscanbeusedinliquidorgranularform.Theywillneedreapplicationoftenandafterrain.Seeproductlabelsforproperapplication.