PLANNING YOUR FALL PLANTINGS
Fall is a beautiful season, with cooler days, colorful leaves, and a focus on cozy things. It can also be a season of lots of yard work though, cleaning out garden beds, raking leaves, and giving the lawn some TLC.
It doesn't have to be all work and no play, however. If you've ever thought about adding some trees, shrubs, or perennials to your yard, now is a great time to do it.
While you're cleaning things up, or even while you're just contemplating what needs to be done while you sip a cup of coffee, think about where you could add a tree, some shrubs, or some beautiful perennial flowers. It can be helpful to draw up a quick sketch of your yard when you're planning landscaping changes, so get out that pencil or a sketching app.
WHY YOU SHOULD PLANT PERENNIALS, TREES, AND SHRUBS IN FALL
Planting trees, shrubs, or perennials in the fall gives them an extra season to focus on growing a strong root system before they need to put energy towards making new leaves, flowers, or deal with the hottest days of summer. This means they'll be a little bit stronger and healthier come next season. For some perennials, it can also mean you'll get blooms in the first summer instead of having to wait another whole year for flowers.
TREE & SHRUB PLANTING TIPS
Planting new trees and shrubs is not too difficult, but it's important to follow a few key guidelines to ensure the success of your new investments.
Start early, and check your expected frost dates; usually, we get the first frost in mid-October in central Indiana. Trees and shrubs should be in the ground for a minimum of 6 weeks before the first frost, but 8 weeks is even better.
Measure your yard before adding trees and shrubs. When you're picking out shrubs or saplings, double-check the mature size of the plant. Then measure that space out in your yard where you want to plant. Make sure you give the tree or shrub enough room to mature properly without interfering with house foundations, fences, other trees or shrubs, sidewalks, driveways, and power lines.
Prepare the planting hole for your tree or shrub before you remove it from its pot or burlap wrap. The hole should be approximately 3 times as wide as the root ball, but not any deeper than the rootball. The crown, or flared part of a tree trunk should be at or just above the soil level.
Encourage root growth by teasing and loosening out the roots of your tree or shrub before planting.
Backfill and tamp the soil down with a tamping tool, or the heel of your shoe, to make sure no air pockets are trapped in the roots. Trapped air pockets can cause roots in the air pocket to dry out and die.
Give your new trees and shrubs a blanket of mulch, at least 2-3 inches thick. But don't pile the mulch up around the base of your trees like a volcano. This will cause moisture to sit against the tree's trunk, causing rot and making the tree more vulnerable to pests, winterkill, or disease.
Water your trees and shrubs religiously to make sure they have the best chance at success. Water every single day for the first 1-2 weeks, then every 2-3 days for the next 3-10 weeks, or until the ground freezes up. Soaker hoses are your best friend for making sure trees and shrubs get watered deeply.
PERENNIAL PLANTING TIPS
Fall is a great time to plant new perennials, or split and move some of your existing perennials. If adding new perennials, you can get them to focus energy on building strong roots by cutting the whole plant back to 4-5 inches tall, removing all flowers.
Perennials will also benefit from a blanket of mulch, but wait until early to mid-October to add it, so they can still benefit from the fall sunshine warming the soil.
Got your plan, or at least some ideas, about what or where you want to add some trees, shrubs, or perennials to your yard? Stop by the garden center. Our expert staff can help you select the right plants to suit your garden, budget, and maintenance requirements.