Spring is considered an ideal time to plant trees and shrubs, but the fall season is a good for landscape plantings too. Since the temperature cools down around this time, some people believe certain plants will die once the winter arrives. Believe it or not, the cooler air of the fall can make the planting process easier in certain ways.
If you want trees or shrubs in your landscape, take a few minutes and see why you might want to plant them during the fall.
More Rain Equals Less Watering
One of the best parts of planting in the fall is that it is much easier to keep your trees and plants watered. Fall is known to be a rainy season, so you can expect it to get pretty wet during this period. As a result, the trees, shrubs, and plants you put in will get plenty of water throughout the season.
And since it will be much cooler outside, these plants do not need a lot of additional water. You will only need to provide water at specific intervals during the fall season. This lessens the amount of work you need to do to keep your plants nice and healthy before spring arrives.
Trees Have Time to Grow Before Summer
The fall season is especially great for planting trees, since they have time to properly grow before the summer arrives. Thanks to the cooler temperatures, trees will have an easier time developing their roots in the soil. This is because the trees will focus on gathering nutrients to prepare for the arrival of winter.
As the surface cools, the soil underground will remain at a warm, consistent temperature. This is the perfect environment for root development, so the roots will grow at healthy rate. With their roots developed, the trees will be ready to handle the harsh temperatures of the summer season.
Plant-Eating Insects Are Less Common
Plenty of insects love to eat plants and leaves. They are very common during the spring and summer seasons, since this is when plant growth thrives. Bugs will eat as much as they can, creating a difficult environment for trees and shrubs to grow in.
A good thing about the fall is that these leaf-eating bugs are far less common. Some of them do show up from time to time, but most of them thrive during the warmer seasons. As the temperature goes down, the bugs will head out to find hotter regions.
If you do not want to worry about insects harming your new plants as they grow, you would benefit from planting during the fall.
Ideal Trees & Shrubs for Fall
It is important to note that some trees and shrubs may not thrive as well during the fall season. Certain evergreen trees may have trouble dealing with the harsh winter winds, so you must be careful with your plant choices. Here are some recommendations for trees and shrubs to plant during the fall in Hillsborough Township:
- Flowering Dogwood
- Scarlet Oak
- Maple
- Sweetgum
- Spicebush
- Cotinus coggygria (Smoketree)
- Fothergilla
When Should You Plant?
If you decide to do your plantings during the fall, it would be best to start planning in August. Use this time to determine what you want to plant, and where you want everything to be set in your landscape. Once everything is set in stone, you can begin planting in late September.
This will give your trees and shrubs time to develop their roots before the winter frost sets in. If you wait too long, your new plants may not grow as well as they should.
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