‘Right Plant, Right Place’ is a very important aspect of planting and it is never too early to start thinking about landscape changes for next year. As you clean up and refresh mulch or water, start assessing your landscape and what did and didn’t work. There are some very important plant requirements to keep in mind when planning a new garden or adding to an established garden.

Hardiness zones

Hardiness zones are listed on all plant labels. These zones are made based on the plant’s ability to survive the winter. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, plant hardiness zones are based on average extreme minimum temperatures at a given location during a particular time period. You can find the hardiness zone map to see where you are in regards to growing conditions here: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ It is important to utilize plants that are suited for our hardiness zone to ensure their winter survival.

Sunlight requirements

The amount of sunlight a plant receives is critical for health and durability. There are many levels of sunlight preferences for plants, and it can be a little confusing.

• Full sun plants need 6 or more hours of sunlight per day. This should be at least six hours of open, full sunlight, not dappled light. These plants grow best if the majority of the sunlight they receive is hot, afternoon sun.
• Part sun plants grow best in 4-6 hours of sunlight per day.
• Part shade plants grow best in 2-4 hours of sunlight per day. This can be dappled sunlight.
• Full shade plants grow best in less than 2 hours of sunlight per day. This doesn’t mean they receive absolutely no sunlight, but maybe some morning sun or just a bit of dappled sunlight through the day.

Water Requirements

The water requirements of plants can vary greatly depending on the plant, the type of soil it is planted in, and how long the plant has been planted in that location. For example, plants in sandy soils need to be watered more often than those planted in clay soil. Also, plants recently planted will need more water than those already established in a location. Recent transplants will not have the root mass of an established plant making them less efficient in water absorption.

There are plants more drought tolerant than others. These plants have different features to help them survive longer periods without irrigation. They may have fleshy leaves to hold more moisture, smaller leaves, or leaves with deep indentations to reduce leaf area. They might have a very waxy leaf surface or one covered with hairs to help hold in moisture. Other plants may have much longer roots to reach deep into the soil to find moisture.

On the other hand, there are some plants more adapted to wet locations. Plants need oxygen to survive, even through the roots. Some plants can tolerate longer periods of time in wet soils or even in flooded locations. Some plants are even adapted to be under almost constant water, such as bald cypress trees. These trees, however, pop their roots up and out of the ground to get oxygen in consistently wet locations. If your location is often wet, choose a plant more adapted to those types of growing conditions. Some plants will not survive long in high moisture areas.