Every spring the garden centers along Highway 90 fill up with plants and the parking lots fill up with people buying them, and every summer we replace a share of what they planted. The problem is not the plants. It is the calendar. In the Big Bend, the right time to plant most shrubs and trees is fall, and once you see why, the spring rush makes a lot less sense.
What a new plant is up against
A container-grown shrub or tree arrives with its entire root system in a pot-shaped ball. Until it grows roots out into the native soil, it can only drink what is in that ball, and in hot weather it can empty that ball in a day. Establishment is the process of growing enough roots into the ground to stop depending on the ball. Roots grow when soil is warm and moist and the plant is not being asked to support a full canopy in the heat.
Here, that describes October through March. Soil stays warm well into December, rain is reasonably reliable, and the plant is not transpiring hard. By the time the dry spring and the first hot spell arrive in April and May, a fall-planted shrub has six months of root growth behind it. A spring-planted one has six weeks.
The fall window
For Jefferson County, mid-October through early December is the sweet spot. Soil is still warm from summer, the worst heat is over, and there is a long run of mild weather ahead. Planting can continue through the winter for hardy plants; the ground rarely freezes here and roots keep growing slowly. January and February planting is fine for oaks, hollies, magnolias and most natives.
The risk is a hard freeze on a tender plant before it has settled. Anything marginally cold-hardy for our zone, and anything tropical-looking that a garden center sells here anyway, is better planted in March or April after the last frost. Our freeze protection post covers the plants that need cover.
The spring window
March and April planting works. It just needs more attention. The plant goes in a few weeks before the driest, most demanding stretch of the year, and the watering schedule in our post on watering new shrubs and trees has to be followed without gaps. If you cannot commit to that through May and June, wait for fall.
Spring is the right time for the exceptions: tender perennials, tropicals, annuals, and warm-season grass sod and plugs, which need heat to root. Our sod installation post covers turf timing separately.
Summer planting
June through September is the hardest time to establish anything here. It can be done with daily watering and some shade, and the rainy season helps, but the failure rate is high and there is no reason to choose it. If a plant has to go in during summer, do it on a cloudy day, water it in deeply, mulch it, and keep the ball wet every day until the heat breaks.
Fall planting done right
- Dig wide, not deep. The hole should be two to three times the width of the root ball and no deeper than the ball. A plant set too deep suffocates.
- Loosen the roots. Circling roots on a pot-bound plant need to be cut or teased out, or they keep circling and strangle the trunk years later.
- Backfill with the native soil. Do not fill the hole with potting mix or amendments; roots stay in the good stuff and never leave the hole.
- Set the top of the ball slightly above grade, especially on the Red Hills clay, so water does not pool around the crown.
- Water in deeply, mulch two to three inches keeping it off the trunk, and do not fertilize until spring.
What to plant
Fall is when the natives and the regional standards go in: live oak, southern magnolia, red maple, bald cypress, sabal palm, wax myrtle, yaupon, American beautyberry, oakleaf hydrangea, azaleas and camellias. Camellias in particular are best planted in fall and bloom their first winter. Our post on low-maintenance landscaping has a longer list.
FAQ
Can I plant a tree in November and leave it until spring?
Yes, with water during any dry stretch. A dry December is common and a new tree still needs a weekly soak.
Are fall plants at the garden center a good deal?
Often. Nurseries clear stock before winter. Inspect the roots and skip anything badly pot-bound.
Should I fertilize at planting?
No. Fertilizer on a new root ball burns roots and pushes top growth the roots cannot support. Wait until spring.
Do you install landscape plantings?
Yes, from bed prep through planting and mulch; see our landscaping services.
If you've got beds to plant this fall, get in touch and we'll get them in at the right time. We do landscape work around Monticello, Thomasville and the towns between.