TREE & SHRUB

Climate & Growing Conditions

Gardening in Calgary comes with unique challenges due to its short growing season, cold winters, and unpredictable weather. Here are some key points to consider when growing trees and shrubs in an outdoor garden in Calgary:

  • Hardiness Zone: Calgary is in Zone 3 (sometimes Zone 4 in microclimates), meaning plants must be hardy to at least -40°C.
  • Chinooks: These warm winter winds can cause plants to break dormancy early, making them vulnerable to frost damage.
  • Soil: Calgary’s soil is often alkaline and clay-heavy, requiring amendments like compost and mulch to improve drainage and fertility.
  • Frost Dates: The growing season is short, with the last frost around late May and the first frost in early September.

Best Trees for Calgary

Choose hardy, drought-resistant trees that can withstand cold winters and fluctuating temperatures.

Deciduous Trees:

  • American Linden (Tilia americana)
  • Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
  • Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo)
  • Amur Maple (Acer ginnala)
  • Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Evergreen Trees:

  • Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)
  • White Spruce (Picea glauca)
  • Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
  • Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)

Best Shrubs for Calgary

Shrubs add year-round interest and can provide wind protection.

Flowering Shrubs:

  • Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
  • Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa)
  • Potentilla (Dasiphora fruticosa)
  • Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
  • Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Evergreen Shrubs:

  • Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo)
  • Junipers (Juniperus species)
  • Dwarf Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’)

 

Planting Guide

For best results with your new tree or shrub follow these easy steps:

  1. When transporting keep plants out of the wind as much as possible (lay down on it’s side). Wind dries out the foliage leaving the tree or shrub thirsty. Water once home.

  2. Dig twice as wide as the root ball or the pot it came in. Make sure the hole is no deeper than the height of the pot it came in. Too deep and this could kill your tree or shrub.

  3. Check drainage by filling the hole with water. If it drains quickly continue planting, otherwise add soil and plant in a mound instead.

  4. Now is the time you can add your myke’s fertilizer or bonemeal to encourage root growth.

  5. Lay plant on it’s side and gently pull it out of it’s pot. Then loosen the root ball by massaging the sides to allow the roots to be loose. This will allow your roots to spread better when in the ground.

  6. Place the plant into your hole. Ensure the top of the root ball is even or a couple inches higher than the surrounding soil. Make sure your tree or shrub is standing straight and not leaning. Back fill with compost or manure. Pat down well to remove air pockets.

  7. Water slow and deep with a hose regularly for the first two seasons. A sprinkler is not enough for new trees or shrubs. Newly planted trees and shrubs need much more water than mature ones. Considering a watering bag to help.

Watering Newly Planted Trees & Shrubs

Remember the key to watering young freshly planted trees is to water slow and deep.

Set your hose on a slow drip at the base of the drip line. Remember rain and irrigation system water is not enough! Help your tree by giving it the drink it needs!

  • A good deep watering should moisten the soil to a depth of 24–30 inches.

  • It is important to let the soil drain and dry out slightly but not fully in between watering cycles.

  • Water new trees 3 to 4 times a week for it’s first season planted. Make sure the hose is on a slow trickle and let it go for 1 to 3 hours depending on the size of your plant.

  • Continue watering into the fall to allow the tree to collect as much nutrients before the end of the season. Water 2 times a week at this point.

Allowing the water to go deeper into the soil will help make your tree or shrub more tolerant to drought as the roots will grow deeper down into the soil over time.

Note: Evergreen trees do not go into full dormancy over the winter like deciduous trees. Give deciduous plants a heavy end of season water so they can store the nutrients as they are going through their fall changes preparing to go dormant. Evergreens will constantly be using water as temperatures get to 0°C.

Tree & Shrub Warranty Program

We offer a two year warranty for potted trees, shrubs and hardy roses that are a zone 4 or below. For a tree or shrub to be eligable for warranty the plant would have to have been planted in the ground (not in a pot or raised bed) and be dead at the time of claim.

Our warranty program offers the customer a store credit for the amount of the tree or shrub at the time of purchase. This store credit does not expire and can be used at any time once issued to ensure the customer finds the best replacement for them.

Our Warranty Does not Cover:

  • Any and all cosmetic damage, including but not limited to winter die back or sun scorch.

  • Any and all animal damage to the plant. This includes gnawing, chewing or scratches to any part of the tree.

  • Any plant that has not received reasonable or proper care by the customer such as improper planting and watering to the plant.

  • Does not include any services such as delivery or install of the plant.

Excluded Plants:

Cedars, Tea Roses, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Japanese Maples and any zone 5+ plants.

How to Redeem Your Warranty:

  • If the health of your plant is in question, before digging it out, please consult with one of our team members either by telephone (403)-201-7525 or email info@siugc.ca

  • If the plant is declared dead, we will require your original receipt and the dead plant body including the roots brought to our location.

  • At this time we will then issue the store credit in which the customer can use at our store. Any plant product bought with the store credit will not have a warranty.

We do not take back any trees or shrubs till after June 1st the following season.

Visit Spruce It Up Garden Centre Today!

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