Fall for Planting Trees?
Fall for Planting Trees?
The other day, my husband and I loaded up the kids and took a trip to the local farm supply store. Our objective was to get feed for the goats and sheep, and the chickens, as well as a few heat bulb for our adolescent chickens. As we approached, we saw some of the trees that were left from the spring. Still green, but the leaves were falling off, they were fast approaching their dormant stage. As we got closer we saw the sign, the sign that changes your plans.
50% off our nursery stock.
SOLD! $9 for 3 year old fruit trees!?! You know we couldn’t pass that one up. My husband and I looked at each other. Money? ~sigh~ I know. Fruit? yep. Should we? In the long run, it will be worth it. Agreed. {as I said previously, my husband and I are very articulate people}
There was about a dozen or so trees available. We looked at the tags, most were apples, but we already have 4 apple trees, 1 pear tree that has been graphed to produce 3 types of pears, a cherry, a peach and a plum. Our nectarine had been killed in the late frost earlier this year. And there it was, 1 nectarine left in the bunch. I took it. My husband declared that he loved my plum jam, so he decided that another type of plum was needed. It saddened me a bit, because the only reason we got our first plum tree was because of my father, so I was reminded of him. But my husband did indeed like the plum jam, so it was all good.
Wait a minute Phelan, it is cool out now. I know, I hear you. That bitter north winds are starting to cut through the landscape. Frost has arrived at least once by now. Why on earth would we go ahead and buy trees to plant? Autumn is a prime time to plant trees. With them in their dormant stage, they have time to establish roots systems without worrying about getting nutrition to the rest of the sleeping tree.
Bare root and burlap roots are the best for fall planting, but if you happen to find a deal like we did, and the trees are in containers make sure they get the required amount of water. Plant your fall trees as you would your spring ones. They need to be mulched in with organic materials, in wide shallow holes. If you can get them in the ground before the hard freeze of winter, before the soil loses it’s warmth, you will see that those fall planted trees do better, then your late spring, early summer ones.
