You invest a lot of money and high hopes in landscape plants. You certainly do not want them to fizzle when you get them in the ground.

But many plants never reach their potential because people often start making serious mistakes the moment they get their plants home.

Getting your plants off to a good start is the key. You do not want to do anything that will compromise their health.

So how do you get them off to a good start?

A very basic step is to prepare the soil over a large enough area so the roots have plenty of room to grow and explore, looking for water and nutrients.

But you will need to avoid planting in wet or poorly drained soils. Most ornamental plants cannot tolerate wet feet. If you must plant on a poorly drained site, raise the bed 12 inches or more by bringing in new soil.

When planting single plants, dig the hole at least twice as wide as the plant’s root ball.

Dig the hole like a funnel, and make sure the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface and the bottom of the hole is firm and flat.

This will prevent the plant from sinking farther into the ground and provide the roots with a good environment to grow.

One other thing to remember is to remove any wire and wrapping from the root ball as best you can so the roots are not restricted in growth.

When you begin to backfill, slowly add soil around the root ball. Do not add peat moss or other organic matter to the planting hole.

Not only will the organic matter hold excessive moisture, but as it decays, it could leave the hole with less material, creating a sunken look around the root. Adding organic matter will also discourage the roots from exploring the surrounding native soil.

Water thoroughly after planting and as often as needed as the plant is getting established.

Mulching around the plant will not only prevent too much water loss from the roots, but also will keep weeds down to a minimum. Stake trees only when needed to keep them supported, and remove the stakes from the tree after the first growing season.

Allow the plants to become established before fertilizing. For ornamental plants transplanted in the fall or winter, fertilize them just before the growing season.

If you follow these tips, you will have a better chance of that new tree or shrub making it through that first critical year.