This Week in the Garden: Your Questions Answered, Week of October 19
Many gardening tasks can still be done right now as we enjoy warm fall temperatures. Leaves can be raked up and used as mulch in garden beds or put into the compost. Just make sure to keep leaves out of lakes, streams and storm drains! If you had diseased plants this year, those can be cleaned up and get that debris out of the garden. Vegetable gardens should be cleaned up before winter. Perennial plants don’t have to be cut back – leave the seed heads for winter interest and to provide food for the birds over the winter.
Question:
I’ve heard that fall is a great time to plant trees, is this true?
Answer:
Generally yes, but fall for tree planting means September to early October. We are getting a little late now. For a fall tree planting, the soil needs to be consistently above 50 degrees and newly planted trees still need to have 6 weeks of mild temperatures before being hit by freezing temperatures. The later you plant, the less amount of time the tree has to grow roots before the soil freezes. Good root establishment is the key to a successful planting. Planting is stressful to the tree and it puts its energy into root development.
Some species are better suited to a fall planting than others. For example, evergreens should be planted in the spring rather than the fall. Check out the resource linked below to see which ones you should plan on planting in the spring and ones suitable for NEXT fall.
Learn more:
Tree Species Recommended for Fall Planting-
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/…/tree-species-for…
Watch on YouTube – Planning for Fall Planting
Have a question of your own?
Reach out—we may feature it in an upcoming post!
You can reach Julie, your local horticulture educator by calling 262-741-4958, Text 262-374-4191, email julie.hill@wisc.edu or use our online form: go.wisc.edu/PlantQ