I thoroughly enjoyed the last days of summer. The temperatures were delightful, the light was soft and fall is in the air. Autumn is the perfect time of year for planting trees, shrubs and perennials. There are a number of reasons for this.
The soil is warm and will stay warm for quite a long time even after the freezing weather chills the air. Putting plants into warm ground allows them to grow new roots quickly, which means they will be stronger and grow more quickly come spring. Spring planting in cold soil often shocks plants into temporarily shutting down, delaying establishment and growth.
The temperatures are mild and won’t heat stress or dry out tender newbies. Of course, you still have to irrigate newly planted items, but soil moisture will stay balanced instead of drying out too much. Less drought stress is good for plants to get established.
This is such a lovely time to be out in the yard, digging in the soil and playing with plants. No heat stress for gardeners either.
Last, but definitely not least, plants are on sale! You can put in so many more when the prices are low and more plants usually make most gardeners happy.
Rules for successful fall planting include selecting plants that are neither diseased nor pest ridden. Prepare the planting holes, particularly for trees. A tree hole should be as deep as the pot the tree is in and four times the width of the container. Loosen the soil in the bottom and at the sides of the hole – no shovel-slicked sides please. No amendments are needed, because you want the new tree to get used to the existing surrounding soil ASAP.
A nicely amended hole encourages the roots to stay there instead of spreading out far beyond the trunk. Widespread roots offer better stability and eventually more water harvesting. Backfill with existing soil to the top of the root ball, but no higher and tamp it down firmly to get air holes out. In a sandy or loam soil, build a dike around the tree to contain water. Ideally, add three to four drip emitters around the root ball, but not up against the trunk. No dikes are recommended for clay soils because they can stay too wet after rain and roots might rot.
A wider hole works well for shrubs and perennials too. I amend my perennial holes with organic matter since their root mass is so small. The organic material helps hold water in the root zone as our smaller buddies get going.
I love fall.
— JoAnne Skelly is an Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Emerita, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at skellyj@unr.edu.
