Spring planting and transplanting time is upon us. How often do you see planting instructions that say "plant with crown at soil level" or "plant crown should be slightly above soil level?"

"Okay," you say. "But, um, what's a crown?"

This short article provides not only a definition, but also a photo that clearly shows what the crown of a plant looks like. It's important to understand what the crown is because plants that are planted at an incorrect depth rarely thrive. Plants planted too deeply may fail to bloom or fruit, and, at worst, will eventually rot and die. Plants that aren't planted deeply enough are more susceptible to drying out as well as heaving in the winter time. For the best results, and healthy plants, make sure you always plant at the proper depth.