Stay Rooted

August can be one of the toughest months on a landscape, but it’s also one of the most important.

A few simple tasks now can make a big difference in how your trees, shrubs, lawn, and garden perform this fall and next spring.

We’ve put together our August Garden Checklist for North Alabama to help you know exactly what to do, what to avoid, and what to watch for this month.

📌 Save this guide so you can refer back to it throughout August.

Have a question about your landscape? Drop it in the comments we’re always happy to help.

🥵🥵🥵 Late summer doesn’t ruin landscapes. Poor summer care does.

By late July, what’s happening below the soil matters just as much as what you can see above it.

Newly planted trees and shrubs are still establishing roots. Heat increases water loss. Too little moisture creates stress, but too much can be just as damaging.

The answer isn’t simply to water more.

Check the soil. Water the root zone thoroughly. Protect it with proper mulch. Pay attention to what the plant is telling you.

We put together this guide because beautiful landscapes aren’t built in one season. They’re built by understanding what your plants need through every season.

Save it. Share it. And keep it handy through the hottest stretch of summer.

Stay Rooted Nursery
North Alabama | Zone 7B
“Plant a visit with us”

Every review reminds us why we took a chance on this dream.

We aren’t a big-box store. We’re a small family-owned home nursery that truly loves helping people choose the right plants and giving them the confidence to succeed.

To everyone who has shopped with us, shared a post, recommended us to a friend, or taken a few minutes to leave a review… thank you. Your support means everything to our family.

If we’ve had the privilege of helping you, we’d be honored if you’d leave us a review here on our page under leave review. It truly helps our small business grow.

Every plant has a story. Every customer becomes part of ours.

From our family to yours… thank you for choosing Stay Rooted Nursery. ❤️

Jason & Ginger

Why do plant tags use names that seem impossible to pronounce? 🧐

They’re there to make sure you’re buying the exact plant you think you are.

The Science: Scientific names give every plant a single, internationally recognized identity, allowing gardeners, growers, and researchers around the world to identify, study, and care for the exact same plant with confidence.

Common names can change from town to town, and sometimes completely different plants share the same common name. Scientific names eliminate that confusion.

They’re also surprisingly descriptive.

Many scientific names tell you something about the plant’s appearance, growth habit, origin, or another defining characteristic. For example, Acer palmatum is the scientific name for the Japanese maple. Acer means maple, while palmatum comes from the Latin word for “hand,” referring to leaves that are typically divided into 5–7 pointed lobes, resembling the fingers of an open hand.

Once you understand how scientific names work, plant labels become much more than identification tags, they become a window into the plant itself.

The more you understand what a plant is telling you, the more confident you’ll become when choosing, planting, and caring for it.

We’ll help you plant with purpose.

Why do so many trees struggle in Alabama clay? 🧐

Most people blame the tree. The soil science tells a different story.

Clay soil is made up of extremely fine mineral particles that hold water and nutrients remarkably well. The tradeoff is that those same particles also slow the movement of air and water through the soil. When a tree is planted too deeply or drainage is poor, roots can remain saturated for too long, limiting the oxygen they need to establish and grow.

That’s why successful tree planting isn’t about digging a deeper hole or replacing all of the native soil. It’s about understanding how clay behaves and planting in a way that works with it not against it.

In this guide, you’ll learn:
• Why planting depth matters more in clay than almost any other soil.
• How to test drainage before you plant.
• When planting on a raised berm is the better option.
• The most common planting mistakes and a strategy behind avoiding them.

💫 The Science in One Sentence 💫

Healthy roots need oxygen just as much as they need water. Good planting creates the balance that allows roots to breathe, establish, and support a healthy tree for decades.

At Stay Rooted Nursery, we believe understanding why something works is just as important as knowing how to do it.

We’ll help you plant with purpose.

🧐 Seeing strange spots, white powder, or yellowing leaves? It may not be insects it could be a fungal disease.

North Alabama’s heat, humidity, and frequent summer rains create ideal conditions for fungal diseases to develop and spread. The good news? Catching them early can make all the difference.

We created this guide to help you identify the four fungal diseases we see most often in our area:
• Black Spot
• Powdery Mildew
• Anthracnose
• Cercospora Leaf Spot

In this guide you’ll learn:
• What each disease looks like
• How it spreads
• Which plants are commonly affected
• How to reduce the spread
• Best practices for prevention

One of the biggest mistakes we see is pruning infected branches without disinfecting pruning tools between each cut. A contaminated blade can spread fungal spores throughout the plant, turning a small problem into a much bigger one.

Save this guide so you’ll have it when you need it most.

If you’re unsure what’s affecting your plant, post a clear photo in the comments. We’ll help you identify the problem and point you in the right direction.

We’ll help you plant with purpose. 🫶🏼

Did you know one of the biggest reasons plants struggle has nothing to do with watering or fertilizer?

It’s simply being planted in the wrong location. 🧐

Morning sun, afternoon sun, filtered light, and full shade all create completely different growing environments. A plant that thrives on the east side of your home may struggle on the west side, even if it’s only a few yards away.

Whether you’re planting Japanese maples, hydrangeas, hostas, crape myrtles, shrubs, or perennials, understanding your property’s sun exposure is one of the most important steps toward long-term success.

Save this guide for future reference, and share it with someone planning a landscape.

We’ll help you plant with purpose.

Tiny beetle. Big damage! 🪲

Japanese beetles can skeletonize leaves, damage flowers, and weaken some of your favorite landscape plants in just a few days.

We created this North Alabama guide to help you identify them early, understand the damage they cause, and choose the right management strategy.

Save this guide for future reference, and share it with another gardener.

We’ll help you plant with purpose

The Stay Rooted Landscape Pest Guide

One of the most common questions we hear at the nursery is:

“What’s eating my plant?”

Before reaching for a pesticide, the first step is identifying what you’re actually dealing with.

That’s why we created the Stay Rooted Landscape Pest Guide, a quick reference designed specifically for homeowners and gardeners in North Alabama (USDA Zone 7b).

Inside you’ll find:

• Eight of the most common landscape pests in our region
• The plants they commonly attack
• Peak activity periods
• Key identification features
• Typical damage symptoms
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) recommendations
• Beneficial insects that help protect your landscape naturally
• When it’s time to call a professional

Remember, not every insect is harmful. Many are essential pollinators or natural predators that help keep pest populations in balance. Correct identification is the foundation of successful plant care.

Save this guide so it’s easy to find when something doesn’t look right in your landscape, and share it with a fellow gardener who might find it helpful.

Have a pest you can’t identify? Post a clear photo in the comments or send us a message. We’ll do our best to help you identify it.

We’ll help you plant with purpose.

Coming Next: The Stay Rooted Plant Disease Identification Guide — Learn how to recognize common fungal, bacterial, and environmental problems before they spread.

The Stay Rooted Monthly Landscape Guide| July

Successful landscapes aren’t built by chance, they’re built with the right information at the right time.

That’s why we’re launching The Stay Rooted Monthly Landscape Guide, a research-informed series created specifically for North Alabama (USDA Zone 7b).

Each month, we’ll share practical, seasonal guidance to help you make confident decisions in your landscape, from planting and pruning to watering, fertilizing, and solving common plant problems.

Inside this month’s guide you’ll find:

• What is still safe to plant in July
• Smart watering strategies for summer heat
• Fertilizer reminders for established landscapes
• Pruning recommendations
• Common pests to watch for this month
• Heat stress prevention tips
• A featured landscape plant
• Practical advice you can use all month long

Our recommendations are developed using research-based horticultural guidance, adapted for North Alabama, and strengthened by the hands-on experience we gain growing and caring for these plants every day.

If you find this guide helpful, save it for future reference and share it with someone who enjoys gardening. These monthly guides are designed to become a trusted resource you can return to throughout the year.

We’ll help you plant with purpose.

Coming August 1: The Stay Rooted Monthly Landscape Guide | August
Preparing Your Landscape for Late Summer and the Transition into Fall.