Perennial and Grass Planting Tips

The first consideration is the growing conditions.  What is your soil type, natural moisture, light and pest resistance requirements?  Once these parameters are defined then selecting plants that grow natively in conditions similar optimize success ratios.

When you get the plant home, you decide where to grow the plant.  Dig the hole 3 times the width and about 6" deeper than the container, then amend the planting hole with topsoil or cow manure for mushroom compost and organic fertilizer.  This gives the plant a good start with nutrients and loose friable soil to easily set out new roots.

Uncan the plant and look at the roots.  If they are rootbound, (coiled around in a circle on the bottom) open them up by pulling apart or making cuts to ease them open.  Some times you can just cut that entire bottom 1/2 inch off.  This sounds brutal, but the plant will not know it out of the can if you don't do it and in a few years or less it will girdle itself to death.   Also, the act of cutting a root causes the roots to branch out and become stronger just like pruning a plant on the top does.

Determine the crown of the plant, you may have to rove some of the potting medium.  The crown of the plant is the point where the stems or blades grow up and the roots got down.  you want to plant he crown level with the surrounding earth.  Plants evolved or millions of years to the level they want to be at in the ground, they aren't going to change and live for us if we plant them too deep (rotting the crown) or too shallow (drying out the roots).  You may have to add more soil.  I like to fill the hole up with amendment and original soil and mix like a dry cake batter then remove enough soil to plant the plant at the proper depth.

Water well and slowly to ensure no air pockets are around the roots.  Mulch well, but keep it a few inches away from the crown of the plant

Remove any damage stems with a pruners.  Keep you plant well watered.  It is better to water once a week for a deep soaking (down 12- 16 inches) than every day a little bit.  That style of watering will cause roots to grow upwards instead of down and out.