Home Gardener...Plant that Tree Now!

Yes, fall is not the time to prune your trees, bushes, roses, etc but it IS the time to plant them.  I know, winter is coming soon enough and you might think that the tree you buy won’t survive the winter so spring would be better for planting new stuff.  You would be wrong.  Fall is perfect, wet, cool days are conducive to root growth and your tree if planted by the end of October will likely have two months to settle in before the ground freezes.  Planting trees in the spring can be iffy if the summer weather is hot and/or dry.

So chose the perfect spot to locate your tree in your yard.  Make sure it has space to grow and enough light for it to thrive.  Don’t plant it too close to other trees or bushes which might shade it or steal water from it.  One other don’t, - please do not plant trees or bushes too close to your house.  Too close and they won’t get watered by rain if they are under the overhang.  Plus they won’t have the space they need and within a few years you will be wishing they were a yard further away from your foundation!

Remember to soak a bare root tree in water for at least an hour, max of 24 hours.  If it is in a pot or burlap ball, water it very well before planting.

Dig a generous hole; dig it as deep and wide as the plant instructions say.  Trees need that large dug out area of the hole to aerate and loosen the soil so the tree roots can thrive.  Set aside any large rocks  you find for another usage. Put a mound of that same earth you just dug out back in for the roots to rest on if it is a bare root tree.  Lower in the tree and check it for aesthetic placement.  Once it settles in you really should not dig it up and rotate it to change the orientation.  Gently return the same soil to the hole around the tree. Do not fill it with compost or fancy enriched bagged soils.  No more than a bit of supplemental stuff should be added or the roots will not grow beyond the new soil you put around the baby tree.  Try to get the tree centered with the point where it met the soil previously about an inch above the soil level in the new location.  The tree will settle that inch in the coming months. 

Put a sturdy metal stake in four to six inches from the tree and secure it carefully to the stake with fabric or Velcro plant tape.  Or use 2-3 ropes from the branches down to the ground to secure the tree. The stake or rope is necessary for at least a year or two as high winds can bend that trunk and you want it to stay vertical in a relatively straight line.  I have had new shrubs bent by the winter winds and it is tough to get them back the way they were before Mother Nature got to work! 

Water your new arrival really well before you put the last 2-3 inches of soil around the tree (fill the hole with the water) and then again water lightly after the top layer is shoveled on.  Firm the top layer with your hands but don’t stamp hard around the tree.  You want the soil to not become compacted.  Do mulch with quality compost but be careful not to put mulch right against the trunk; keep in 3 or 4 inches away. And don’t make it a big mound.  The tree truck should not be elevated from the soil level as some landscapers are wont to do in that big mound arrangement, not a good choice to make.

Generally no pruning is needed unless you have a broken branch that needs to be removed.

New trees and shrubs need regular watering for the next twelve months. Don’t get the hose out every day but often: do not let a new tree/shrub dry out.   Until its root system is well developed it will need water support, even up to two years if the summer weather does not cooperate with regular rain.  

Some trees need winter protection; two layers of burlap tacked to some sticks placed a foot out from the trunk should suffice. Read the instructions that came with your tree so see if this step is necessary.

So, if you are longing for a new shrub or tree, take advantage of fall sales and be bold, plant now and you will have a well settled in tree to enjoy next year!