Planting Tips

Planting Jeepers Creepers® Planting Tips

Planting Jeepers Creepers® is much like planting any other kind of perennial. These planting steps should come in handy.

PLANTING STEPS

1. After preparing soil, dig hole twice the size of the root ball.
2. Remove plant from pot; break up root ball if root-bound.
3. Place root ball in hole and fill with water.
4. Refill with soil. Root ball should be slightly below soil surface.
5. Water a second time.

HOLDING THE PLANTS
Although Jeepers Creepers® may be held in their containers for a short period of time (say up to three weeks or so), we recommend they be planted as soon as possible to avoid having them accidentally dry out in the pots. The sooner you plant them, the faster they can become established in your garden.

If you must wait, your plants will be happiest outside, so long as temperatures are above freezing. They may be held in the garage, garden shed, or even in the house overnight, but any longer than a day or two can cause them to stretch and possibly to lose some of their cold tolerance. Regular watering will be necessary, a couple of times a week during cool weather, every day during warm spells. A lightly shaded location will help to keep them evenly moist.

WHEN TO PLANT
Mid to late Spring is the ideal time to plant Jeepers Creepers®. They have a chance to get well established before the heat of summer arrives. Plants purchased in late winter or very early spring may need special handling, depending on where you live. Avoid planting them into the ground while there is still a good chance of hard night frosts. See HOLDING (above) for ideas on how to keep them healthy until planting time.

Summer planting is very successful, so long as plants are not allowed to dry out. Watering is especially important if the weather is hot and dry. Upon arrival, immediately take plant material out of the box and water thoroughly if needed. Shipping during summer months can add stress to the plants, it is important to take great care within the first few days after receiving in order to avoid any further stresses.

Fall planting is also highly recommended in most regions. In cold winter areas, plan to get your Jeepers Creepers® planted at least six weeks before the ground is expected to freeze. Ground frosts may "heave" fall-planted perennials. Check them in late winter, and if any have popped out of the ground, gently press them back in place.

HOW TO PLANT
Hold the pot upside-down and shake or tap it to loosen the plant roots. If lots of roots are visible, the plant may be rootbound. If so, the root ball must be disturbed to force new, healthy root growth. To do this, take a sharp knife and slice off the bottom inch of roots, then rough up the sides of the rootball with your fingers or the knife tip.

With a spade or trowel, open up a hole deep enough to accommodate the root ball. For best planting results, use the puddling method; fill the hole with water, place the plant upright in the hole and fill in around the roots with soil. Pat the soil to thoroughly mix the soil and the water. This helps to eliminate any air pockets around the roots. Be sure the root ball surface is at or just slightly below the garden soil surface. After planting, you may choose to spread a mulch to a depth of 1-2", taking care to taper it down towards the plant. Overly rich soil or too much fertilizer can result in floppy plants with a loose and open habit. A light top dressing every other spring with about 1/2 inch of compost will keep most of these plants growing well, but no top dressings should be used on selections that grow flat to the ground. Fertilize these with half strength liquid fertilizer (for example 5-10-5).

MAINTAINING YOUR Jeepers Creepers®
Here are a few handy maintenance tips:

With taller-growing selections, pruning or mowing them right after blooming is over will help to maintain a nice, compact habit. Cut them back by 1/2 to 2/3.
With evergreen selections, removing fallen tree leaves in late fall is important, or your plants might be smothered.
Water during drought if possible; early morning watering avoids losing much to evaporation. In regions with regular summer dry spells, choose selections that will tolerate drought conditions.
If you notice empty spaces appearing between plants, it might be time to either replace with more new plants or do a total renovation. This is normal, and usually happens after a period of four to five years.
Control any pests and diseases as soon as noticed, to avoid spreading the problem to other plants.

CALCULATING HOW MANY PLANTS YOU NEED
Jeepers Creepers® plants have all been rated for their speed of growth: slow, medium or fast. We also indicate a range of spread for each plant as a basic guide for how far apart to place them. However, closer plant spacing will fill in more quickly. We don't recommend this for faster growing types, since they generally fill in quickly enough all on their own.

SPACING	PLANTS PER SQ FT	AREA 100 PLANTS WILL FILL
4 "	9	11 Sq Ft
6"	4	25 Sq Ft
8"	2.5	45 Sq Ft
10"	1	72 Sq Ft
12"	1.4	100 Sq Ft
16"	0.57	176 Sq Ft
18"	0.44	227 Sq Ft
24"	0.25	400 Sq Ft

Plant cells and plant trays sizes explained:

There are 4 individual plant cells in each Jeepers Creepers 4-pack.

Our colorful purple colored plant cells are 2.35" long, 1.5" wide at the top and 2.33"

deep. That's 3.48 fluid ounces per cell, 13.93 fl oz per 4-pack.

Our minmum plant order is a 1/2 tray. That's 24 individual plant cells (6 4-packs)

Quantity discounts:

The more of the same variety you purchase the greater your savings.

For example buy a 1/2 tray (24 plants) at $70, but purchase a full tray (48 plants) at $114
and you save $24!

The more of the same variety you purchase the greater your discount!

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