Consider fall for planting trees and shrubs
Amy Jordan, Special to the Gazette
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Spring is often the season that comes to mind when we think about planting trees. However, fall is a great time for planting trees or shrubs, for many reasons.
Soil temperature plays an important role in root development of plants. In the spring, cold soils can have a detrimental effect on new transplants, or seeds may rot if in soil not warm enough for germination. The opposite is true in the fall. Warm soils promote root growth even when the plants have gone dormant. Planting trees or shrubs in the fall enable the plants to develop roots and become more established before going into the hot, dry stress of the summer.
Spring rains may prevent planting or cause soils to be water logged, reducing the available oxygen in the soil and preventing root growth. When planting in the fall, water newly planted trees and shrubs so that the soil is moist, but not soggy and be sure the soil is adequately moist going in to the winter. If it is a dry winter, watering on warm days may be necessary.
Certain trees do not produce significant root growth during the fall and are better planted in the spring. These include beech, birch, redbud, magnolia, tulip poplar, willow oak, scarlet oak, black oak, willows and dogwood. Evergreens should be moved earlier in the fall than deciduous plants. They need at least six weeks before the ground freezes for the roots to become established.
If you are wanting to plant for autumn color, fall is a good time to scope out plants at the nursery and select for color. Color is not always consistent among species due to genetic variability, so you know what you are getting if you see it first hand. Below are some species that are known for vibrant colors in the fall.
Trees
• Caddo Maple
• Amur Maple
• Serviceberry
• Sweetgum
• Bald Cypress
• Ginkgo
• Blackgum
• Goldenrain tree
• Callery pear
Shrubs
• Sumac
• Viburnum
• Virginia sweetspire
• Oakleaf Hydrangea
• Burning Bush