September to November is the time of year to plant some trees around your house. Most
people think that fall is the end of the growing season but it is not.
Fall is a great time to plant a tree. While we are waiting for spring,
your new tree will be growing a strong root system. This is a huge advantage because when the hot weather comes in spring and summer, your tree will already have a strong root system, meaning you will have a less likely chance of losing the tree and you will not have to water it as much as you would need to water a tree that is planted in the spring.
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| Variegated Dogwood Leaf |
Another great advantage of planting in the fall is that most garden centers have sales on their trees. They do this because they do not want to care for the inventory over the winter. Last year I was able to buy a 5 gallon curly willow for $5 and two variegated dogwoods for $55. I was practically stealing these trees. I have seen curly willows priced from $30-$60 in the spring and variegated dogwoods go for $55 each.
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| Mature Curly Willow (photo from http://www.hornbakergardens.com) |
According to savatree.com, trees recommended for fall planting include the
maple, buckeye, horse chestnut, alder, catalpa, hackberry, hawthorn,
ash, honey locust, crabapple, amur corktree, spruce, pine, sycamore,
linden and elm.
-The Crafty Gardener
