Select Plants

* Be sure to check the roots! Your new plants should have a healthy root system throughout the root ball. The roots should be light in color to bright white, depending on the variety of plant you are planting.
* You should not see dark colored, soggy, or mushy roots in large quantities. This usually indicates a potential disease problem and/or a root system that is weakened due to overwatering.
* html* You should also look for varieties that are hardy in our climate or growing zone. Plant hardiness zones are established by the USDA to help gardeners and growers determine whether a plant will be prone to survival with the average minimum temperatures recorded in a given part of North America; for more information on Hardiness Zones, please refer to the following website: www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. In the Boise area, we typically associate with a zone 5 which reports minimum temperatures -10F to -20F.
* Know your exposure! Know whether or not the plants you like are going to grow in the amount of sunlight you can offer them. This means that you want to identify approximately how much direct sun the planting area will receive to ensure a proper match for plants that will thrive in that exposure. Note that there is a difference between morning (sunrise to mid-day) direct sun and afternoon (mid-day to dusk) direct sun. The morning sun is typically less intense and less stressful on plants than the afternoon direct sun can be.
Once you have chosen the right plants for the right place, the soil should be prepared properly and your plants planted properly to ensure a healthy, vigorous start.