Which kind of soil conditions and watering does Tsuga Canadensis or Canadian Hemlock prefer?
The fear of ‘root rot’ is a problem, but only as the plants develop root regeneration. Tsuga has a very important tap root, which has to regenerate, once the root system has regrown the risk of ‘root rot’ or drowning will diminish. If your soil is very clay, you can dig a little deeper, and back fill with a layer of pea gravel, to allow some drainage. It is very, very important not to plant the plants too deeply, as the roots will certainly be smothered. It will be a few (three) years before the plants no longer need to be coddled. Be sure to keep a layer of wood mulch (pine bark) about 1-2″ deep for the summer, and up to 4″ deep in the winter, in those early years. Fertilize regularly with a foliar feed type of fertilizer (such as Miracle-gro Miracid, or Ferti-lome Rooting and Blooming Solution), after four or five years you can change over to a granular type fertilizer. I wouldn’t bother with the gypsum, it’s better to let them root in. Once the plants establish themselves, they will
