You start seeing signs around Labor Day at local garden centers. They start with a quiet 20 percent off and by October the signs are screaming up to 75 percent off! What's on sale? Trees and shrubs.
Fall is good time to buy trees and shrubs. Many nurseries and garden centers don't want to carry their stock through the winter, so they're eager to move plants. But, as with any shopping, you need to discriminate between healthy and not so healthy plants. Here are some tips.
First of all, deciduous trees and shrubs are a better bet to survive our winters from a fall planting compared to evergreens. Evergreens continue to transpire through the winter. If their roots aren't established in fall they can dry out and die. That's why I usually recommend planting evergreens early in fall to give them a better chance of survival and protecting foliage with burlap in late fall.
New research from Washington State University is changing how we look at planting trees and shrubs. For container plants, select ones that aren't root bound. It's suggested to not only prune and tease apart circling roots with your hands, but also wash off all the potting soil and correctively prune major roots that might girdle the trunk. It's thought removing the potting soil encourages the roots to grow into the native soil faster.
For balled and burlapped plants, rock the trunk back and forth. If the trunk moves independently of the root ball, then the roots may not be very extensive and the tree may take longer to get established. When planting remove the burlap and wire basket, and as with the containers, remove the soil and correctively prune out any roots that are encircling the trunk.
And now for this week's tip, it's easy to know when it's time to pick cantaloupes. Check for the fruity smell, let the skin turn brown, and gently tug at the fruits. When they easily slip from the vine, it's time to eat.
Next week on the Vermont Garden Journal, I'll be talking about tomato hornworms. Until then, I'll be seeing you in the garden.
Broadcast on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 5:57 p.m. and Sunday, August 31st at 9:35 a.m.
The Vermont Garden Journal with Charlie Nardozzi is made possible by Gardener's Supply, offering environmental solutions for gardens and landscapes. In Burlington, Williston and Gardeners.com.
Resources:
The Myth of Fragile Roots
The Myth of Collapsing Root Balls
