UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Establishing ornamental plants around a home enhances the outdoor environment and generally makes the property more valuable and desirable, according to horticulturists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, who offer advice for successful plantings.

In a free guide called "Planting Ornamentals," specialists provide tips for creating beautiful, healthy and long-lived plantings, emphasizing proper site analysis, selecting hardy, healthy plants, proper site preparation and planting techniques, and after-planting care and maintenance.

"Underestimating the importance of these four factors can result in disappointment, not to mention expensive, unsightly plantings that grow slowly, die quickly and are prone to pest infestations," says James Sellmer, assistant professor of ornamental horticulture, one of the authors of the guide. "Failing to follow certain fundamental practices is the most common cause of unsuccessful ornamental plantings."

The principles of successful planting do not differ greatly for bare-root, balled and burlapped, and container-grown plants. "Each step in the planting process -- digging the correct shape and sized planting hole, preparing the planting soil, setting the plant in the hole, watering and mulching -- requires careful attention," Sellmer says.

He advises homeowners to purchase plants from a reliable nursery or garden center because the plants they offer generally are of better quality than those collected from the wild. "The roots on field-grown nursery plants are pruned frequently during the production cycle," he says. "That results in a more compact root system and allows the plants to become established faster.

"Most nursery-produced plants are given optimal levels of plant nutrients, water and pest control," Sellmer continues, "which creates quality products for the home garden and landscape trade."

The guide also covers pruning before planting, soil modification, special planting requirements and watering. "Attention to the details covered in the guide will help ensure proper establishment of newly set plants," says Sellmer, "whether they are specimen, shade or evergreen trees, small flowering trees or shrubs or ground covers set in a landscape border."

To request a free copy of the guide "Planting Ornamentals," call 814-865-6713 or write to the Publications Distribution Center, The Pennsylvania State University, 112 Agricultural Administration Building, University Park, Pa. 16802. The publication also is available at county Penn State Cooperative Extension offices and on the Web at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uj253.pdf

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Contact: Jeff Mulhollem Email jjm29@psu.edu Office 814-863-2719 FAX 814-863-9877