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Fall is the time to plant trees & shrubs

By Trisha Gedon, Oklahoma State University

With the summer heat hopefully behind us for the season, Oklahoma gardeners can look forward to planting their fall gardens.
David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturist, said fall is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs.
“Early fall planting is best for container-grown and balled and burlapped shade and ornamental trees and pines,” Hillock said. “However, spring is best for planting bare-root plants and broadleaf evergreens such as holly and Southern magnolia.”

Plants that are planted in the fall have more time for the root system to become established before the onset of summer heat, something Oklahomans are more than familiar with. Plants installed during the growing season are susceptible to high transpiration rates leading to drying of plant tissues.

“We have an excellent example of this at the Oklahoma Gardening Studio Gardens in the edible landscape bed. We planted a blueberry shrub last fall and then planted more in the spring,” he said. “Despite the extreme heat the state endured this summer, the shrub planted in the fall is doing very well. The spring-planted shrubs have struggled, have crispy leaves, dropped many leaves and are barely hanging on in spite of the intense watering that was provided to help keep them alive.”

If you are looking to replace some trees or shrubs in your landscape, or simply add more to the design you already have, now is the time to do so.

“The weather should be changing for the better as we move through the month of September, bringing cooler temperatures and additional rainfall, something we all will eagerly welcome and our plants will greatly appreciate,” Hillock said.

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