Tick/Tock – Fall is tree planting time

September 29, 5:57 PMSoutheast MI Home & Living ExaminerJackie DiGiovanni

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Michigan White Pine 
photo courtesy of
www.50states.com

Autumn is a good time to plant trees and shrubs, and many nurseries have plants on sale right now.

Have you thought about replacing any trees and shrubs you lost or adding more to your landscape? I have never met anyone who knows what insect or disease will be the next bad thing, but the key to survival seems to be diversity. If you have different varieties of trees and shrubs, the odds are better that some will thrive whatever the next wave brings. Talk to the people at the nursery near you and ask their advice on what to plant this fall in your yard.

According to the MSU Department of Forestry, you can transplant trees and plant bare rooted seedlings successfully in the fall if you break up heavy or clay soil with the proper amendments and correctly install the tree, and that is good advice for any time of the year.

Bare rooted seedlings and transplants must be planted during the dormant season if good survival is expected. Weather and soil conditions conducive to planting occur in both early fall and late spring. The spring season is generally considered the best time to plant, especially if planting is to be done on heavy loam or clay soils. Trees planted on heavy soils in the fall are susceptible to frost heaving and winter kill from dry winter winds. Winter damage from rodents and other wildlife is also greater in fall-planted than spring-planted trees.

Most of Michigan is considered USDA Zone 5. Plants categorized as Zone 6 or 7 would find Michigan winters difficult to survive. Plants categorized 5 or lower, however, should be ideal for fall planting. 

 

Another thing to consider regardless of the season is the type of lighting, soil, and drainage of the area in which you plant your ornamental. Some plants like rich, moist soil, and some like sandy, quick-draining soil, some need full light, some shaded or partial light. Again, examine the soil in question, the lighting of the area throughout the day and ask at your local greenhouse what would go best in such an area. 

• Red, White, Jack, and Scotch pine
• White, Black, and Norway spruce
• Balsam, Fraser, and Douglas fir

Emerald Ash Borer photo
courtesy of the Northeastern Area
of the US Forest Service