Fall is for Trees!

As summer winds down and school starts back up for many, it may feel like the party is over... but with cooler temperatures comes a beautiful time of year, full of warm colors, falling leaves and favorite sporting events.

Fall is also a GREAT time to plant trees!  Planting in the Fall can set your new trees and shrubs up for long term success, with less stress than summer and beneficial root growth for a head start next season.

Cooler autumn temperatures help reduce transplant stress and moisture loss.  As long as the soil temperature is above 50°F the roots of the tree are still growing.  This extra time, typically into mid-November in Iowa, enables roots to get some extra growth before going fully dormant.

Soil Temperature & Garden Plants 

Autumn's arrival might even bring more rain than the hot and dry weather we've had lately and typical of late summer.  Combine this with the cooler temperatures and your trees might not use as much water as they would during the spring growth spurt and summer heat.  Even during the fall your newly planted tree will still require watering, however, especially to hydrate the subsoil well going into winter. 

"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, and the next best time is now!"

One thing to consider is that these recommendations are for potted or container trees.  We don't plant dormant bare-root material in the fall in our climate.  They are hard to keep from drying out and winter will almost certainly kill a bare-root tree planted too late in fall in the North.  Early spring is a much better time to plant bare root trees!

When winter arrives your care activities can "chill out" for a few months, but...  

You'll want to keep young trees protected from deer and rabbits (more on that here)

Ask an Arborist: Why Should I Plant in the Fall? (youtube.com)

You might be wondering "How do I plant a tree well?"  Here is a quick overview of how we plant our trees-

Step 1 - Dig hole to a depth of 2" less than the rootball height and twice as wide.  You want the root crown just above the surrounding soil.

Step 2 - Remove the container and break up/cut any pot bound/circling roots, place in hole, and backfill about halfway.  Make sure tree is straight and plum.

Step 3 - Deeply water around the tree letting the water settle the soil. Finish backfilling and watering.

Step 4 - If needed tie up tree for stability.  Two T-posts at the North and South sides, driven outside of the excavated area, are usually enough.  Tie using wide straps with enough tension to allow flexing to strengthen trunks, but not so loose to tip or lean in strong winds.

Step 5 - Mulch in a ring 4'- 6' in diameter, 3-4” deep with hardwood mulch.  Leave several inches between the mulch and trunk to prevent fungal infection.  

Avoid the mulch volcano... instead go for a mulch donut!

Over the next few weeks and months observe and water as necessary until the tree is fully established. 

Water daily for 1-2 weeks; then 2-3 days for 3-12 weeks; then weekly until established

Apply 1-1.5 gallons per inch of caliper (trunk diameter) at each watering

If the ground does happen to thaw in winter, it would be a good idea to try and see if you can get some water to your young tree.  Winter's drying winds can evaporate moisture from the soil, especially if we don't have a protective blanket of snow.

A smaller tree will take nearly a full growing season to become fully established.  A 2" tree may require two years to become fully established on its own while a 3" tree may need three years. The larger the tree, the bigger the shock so continue to be diligent and observant even long after the initial planting and water accordingly.

"A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they’ll never sit."

Need help planning and planting this fall?  Abundant Design offers Consultation, Design, Installation, and Stewardship services.  The fall offers a great opportunity to plant, and it’s also a great time to start planning and designing for next season.  We can help!

Easter Lake Rain Campaign Video

Here's a fun video we helped make with the Rain Campaign to showcase rain gardens as a Stormwater Best Management Practice.  Their videos help encourage homeowners to consider rain gardens and other best management practices to help with stormwater runoff mitigation and to help them with potential problems in their own yards - erosion, soggy areas, etc.

We had already been working with the homeowners in conjunction with the Easter Lake Watershed coordinator to help them with their yard issues and reduce the storm surge into the lake.  The following pictures show the flooding and poor drainage they were dealing with in their yard.  You can also see Easter Lake behind the trees and shrubs.

Their pipe was a short-term fix, and definitely not their favorite.

Watch the video here, with project photos following.

Rain Gardens (youtube.com)

The laser level helps us get the grading just right

Berms constructed, amended soil blend added

Mulching the fresh planting helps retain soil moisture and will feed the soil as it breaks down.  The basins are mulched lightly to prevent smothering of young plants when the basin fills and empties.

 

After photos of the dry stream which collects and moves rainwater from the downspouts to the basin.

The basin captures and infiltrates the first 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" of any rain event.  90% of historical rains for our area are under this amount. If we get more rain than that, the excess will be slowed and filtered through the native plants, and slowly go over the armored overflow.

Rain Garden - After

This picture is from the second year, and you can see the plant growth, adaptation and personal touches.  We designed the planting to be shade tolerant initially, yet take advantage of the future sunshine too - the park was planning restoration of the native savannah surrounding the lake.  Lots fewer, but quality tree species.

This year (year 3) we were doing another project nearby and were invited to come check it out.  After 2 years you can see continued adaptation and growth (although earlier in the season), and we happened to catch it filled with rain.

Stay tuned for more videos!