Fall is for Planting
Posted by Jessie Jacobson on Sep 5th 2024
Fall is for Planting Perennials
The cool, crisp air of fall gives us and the garden a welcome relief at the end of the summer. Now is the time for planting! Our glorious fall weather offers ample opportunity to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs in the garden. Less heat means less stress for new transplants while still allowing ample time for plants to root in and get established before our first hard frost.
For best results, here are our tips for fall planting success!
Plan to prepare your planting site a day in advance if possible. Make sure plants evenly moist. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Fill the hole with water and let drain completely before continuing to step two.
Press on the sides of the container to loosen the root ball and pull out the plant. Take a garden knife or root saw and shallowly trim around the entire circumference of the root ball to free circling roots.
Place the root ball in the hole, ensuring the roots are spread out and laid straight, not bent or circling. Backfill the hole with a mixture of one part compost (we like Purple Cow's Activated Compost) and two parts native soil (the soil you dug out) and a starter fertilizer like Espoma's Biotone to encourage healthy new root growth. Make sure trees are planted with their root flare above the soil—when in doubt, plant shallower, not deeper.
Lightly tamp down the soil to remove any air pockets and water thoroughly with a garden hose or soaker hose. Mulch around the tree, keeping at least a three-inch gap between the mulch and trunk. Be sure to water your new tree or shrub regularly and thoroughly until the ground freezes in the late fall. Water, water, water!
Check out this video for a step by step on how to plant a tree or shrub!