I'm not sure where you read that planting under a tree would kill it - it is simply not true! Trees growing in the natural environment routinely have other, smaller plants growing under them. Even in heavy forests, there is always undergrowth! As Ken stated, raising the soil level under existing trees can be harmful but in virtually all cases, underplanting them at the same soil level is not an issue. Some trees dislike much disruption in their root zone (Japanese maples for example) so it is best to plant things that will grow happily without the need for division or replanting. And other trees have such aggressive root systems that it is a challenge to get things to thrive within the spread of their canopy or even further. But most trees are very happy with accompanying shrubs or perennials and groundcovers in close proximity. In a small urban or suburban lot, I dislike trees planted plunk in the middle of the lawn. They have no sense of place and look like after thoughts. Plus lawn up to the base of a tree can be a hindrance to successful establishment, not to mention the potential for string trimmer or mower disasters. A good sized bed with complimentary underplantings give trees context and anchor them into the landscape.

I grabbed 5 cardboard palm seeds from in front of an office building in Homestead and just stuck them straight in the ground. As you probably know, that's not the most successful way to germinate them. Mine got damaged on a 27 degree night, but it is pretty tiny. Zamias don't do well with heavy frost. I like cycads too, and it's neat that you're raising them. My sago is focusing on seed production this year, which I'm mad about because I would rather have the foliage. If you're in Tallahassee this fall, you can shake it down for seeds if you want! A good place to rustle some Zamia furfuracea seed is Orlando in October. They just fall out all over the parking lots.

i love my ice plant! i started with one small $2 plant and it is in all those once-bare patches now. i snip off a runner from the mother plant and scratch up enuff dirt to stick the starter at least 1/2" into the ground and water every day or so with liquified seaweed for about a mo. then only water it once, maybe twice a month after that. it grows! i have the one that has a fuschia bloom, it doesnt get as leggy as the yellow while establishing. i have done this even during 100 temps and drought, tho i wouldnt recommend it. I have also done this with hispanicum, blue spruce, and mexicana sedums - they give better weed control quicker, will tolerate all the direct sun given them. in areas where the ice plant gets some tlc or shade in late afternoon and a little more moisture, it becomes very lush. if i had to cover a large area quickly, i would locate a sedum hispanicum in a one gal container; cut it up into 1 1/2-2" sections; soak it all in a bucket 6-8 hrs in liquified seaweed mixed 12 oz (whatever the smaller size is - 'Maxcrop') in a five gal bucket; spread it around the area just like seeds, just before sundown; and spray it in, spray it every day for a week, every other day for a week and then once a week for the rest of the first growing season - you do not need to soak the ground, simply get the surface ground moist. in about one week you will start to see the sections growing hair (roots). the stuff is amazing! in late winter/early spring it will be covered in tiny star shaped blooms. white w/hispanicum and blue spruce, yellow w/mexicana. it will grow profusely with next to no care. if you fertilize at half strength (i use miracle gro) once a month as soon as it begins blooming til may and again sept-oct you will be greatly rewarded. it is my understanding that these sedums grow in rocky, dry mountainous areas. i gave an established containered hispanicum a hair cut in march, it produced about 2 lbs worth of sections, i used the method i described to you and tossed into a 3X10 raised bed for ground cover. i watered once a week thru may, 2X/mo since and today the bed is covered. incidentally, i gave the mexicana a haircut at the same time and clumped patches of it here and there amongst the hispanicum, i cant wait for the show in late feb/early mar! while this plant is a fast grower, i do not consider it to be invasive as it is very easy to trim or contain. hope this helps some. happy gardening! Jo btw - dont waste that leftover seaweed - you can use it on any plant w/o harming it...tho, it will not hurt at that strength, i would go ahead and dilute to regular strength just to get your money's worth - or use at that 'heavy' strength for any other stressed plants - or use a garden sprayer and give that sedum an extra boost! Disclaimer: I do not agree with nor endorse the use of "Sponsored Links" possibly embedded in my posts by the owner of this or any other website and would never purchase anything from any advertiser that used this deceptive form of advertising.

Anytime you get a bareroot plant it needs to go into full shade for at least a few weeks. You also should not fertilize them right away. Get them out of the sun and water them very often hopefully they will come around.