It’s All In The Timing! Best Practices For Planting New Trees

Trees can be expensive, both at the time of purchase and in terms of the water and care they require while getting established. Therefore it’s smart to give them the best chance at life by planting at the right time and giving them the proper care while they settle into their new environment.

Plant in Spring … Or Fall

While early spring is the best time to plant trees, fall also works quite well, too. Since trees are just beginning to go dormant in fall, it can be an even better time to plant than later spring, because trees will go into shock if planted after they begin to bud or leaf out. If you’re going to plant in fall, don’t do it after mid-October, at which time it will get too cold for trees to safely adapt.

Summer Works OK

Technically, you can plant trees in summer, which gives them plenty of time to get established before the colder months arrive. However, if you plant in summer, you have to be aware of the opposite problem: heat. This can make it difficult to ensure plants get enough water to grow new roots and create a strong system before the colder (and often drier) winter months arrive.

Benefits of Fall Planting

While spring may be ideal for some species, fall is actually great for many trees as well. This time of year is cooler, and is very conducive to plants generating new roots, which is critical to them surviving the fragile post-transplantation period. This is especially beneficial because it encourages root growth without encouraging the generation of leaves and shoots. The latter outcome can sometimes make a tree vulnerable to disease, so it’s best if that’s avoided.

Conifer Versus Deciduous

You should plant conifers earlier in the fall season, as they need longer to establish before cold weather hits. Deciduous trees may be planted up to the mid-October deadline, but you should give some deciduous trees – gingko, hemlock, sweetgum and willow, for instance – longer than others.

If you’re looking for professional tree advise in the Atlanta area, call Premier Tree Solutions. We’re a growing tree removal business offering a wide range of services, specializing in tree trimming and pruning, tree removal, storm cleanup and damage control, branch clearing and stump grinding, and Bobcat work. If you have any questions, give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.