Fall is for planting

I always wonder why all the big box stores stock so many landscape plants in the spring when it is really the totally wrong time to be planting any woody shrubs and trees. I suppose the simple answer is that that's when we want to get out and work in the yard. I know it's tempting to buy a bunch of shrubs and redo the landscape in May but it is a BIG mistake!!

Planting is always best done in the fall for woody plants like trees and shrubs. Why is this you may ask? Well I'm about to tell you. First of all in the spring the plants you are wanting to put out are in the process of growing and this can spell disaster if you disturb the plant's roots to too great of a degree. The other reasons....well I'll make a list of why spring is not the best time to plant.

• Frost! - this can cause major damage to plants that have been protected all winter in a nursery
• Summer heat - How is that little plant going to survive the hot summer sun with a scrawny root system
• Drought - Small root system = huge chance of the plant dying in the summer dry times
• Root growth - Roots grow best in the cool fall and spring. If i plant in the spring I only get one chance for roots to grow before summer. If i plant in fall i get much more root growth and time for the plant to establish itself.
• Care - many people plant in the spring only to stop caring for the tree or shrub during the hot summer. This leads to death!!

So the bottom line here is that if you can find shrubs and trees in the fall, consider yourself lucky and plant them. Do not wait until spring. I know you will be much happier with the results.

Now that you know when to plant, lets talk about how to plant. Most of us have heard that we should amend the soil in our planting holes but this is a terrible idea. This is especially true in clay soils. If you dig a hole and plant a tree in compost and peat moss all are doing is creating a mud pit that will hold water around your plants roots and it will drown! The key to planting right is to make sure the hole is no deeper than the root ball but make the hole much wider. This will give the roots some softer soil to grow into....but make sure you plant the tree in native soil and not amended soil! Truly the only thing you may want to do is to had a cup or two of lime and a handful of phosphorus fertilizer. This will help get the roots off to a good start. Also keep in mind that the roots have been growing in a pot most likely and you will need to cut or unbind them in some way. As you can see from the photo on the left, if you don't "fix" the roots your plant will eventually decline and die due to the roots girdling the plant. So don't be afraid to beat, bang and cut those roots so you get fresh straight root growth!

Plant at the right time, use the right techniques and you will have a thriving landscape from the beginning. Plant in the spring and you'll be fighting heat and drought for several years before your plants will truly become established. If you have the bug to plant in the spring; buy lots of annual flowers and compost and plant to your hearts desire!! Leave the trees and shrubs to until the fall.