Why plant in the Fall?
Once the Fall season begins, energy to produce buds, leaves and flowers is redirected to root growth. By planting in the Fall, the roots have a possible 2-3 months of extra time to sink deep into the soil before going dormant for the Winter season. The Spring rains will then provide a lot of moisture as the plant/shrub/tree comes out of dormancy which will encourage even deeper root grown giving it a much better chance of withstanding a long dry spell.
Best Planting Practice
- It’s better to plant higher than too low.
- Amend the soil with peat moss.
- Water and mulch to help hold moisture. Water weekly during the months May-November of the Planting Year
and during the months of April-August of the following year.
Common Planting Mistakes
- Planting too low in the ground – Plant higher and cover with mulch.
- Planting too close to the house or other structure – Look at how tall and wide the tree/shrub will become.
- Planting a tree directly below a utility line – Plant back so the tree has room to grow, but not into the wires.
Best to Plant
Shrubs
Hydrangea, Boxwood, Fineline Buckthorn, Morden’s Pink Loosestrife, Green Giant Arborvitae
Tree
Red Point Maple
Fall Flowering Sedums, Sweet Autumn Clemats, Echinacea (Coneflowers), Heuchera (Coral Bells), Grasses