American Owned & Operated
Most homeowners think of spring as planting season, but if you ask anyone who has worked in Piedmont soil for a while, fall is the better window for trees and shrubs. The air cools off, the ground stays warm and the autumn rains return. That combination gives new plantings a long, quiet stretch to put down roots before they ever have to face a July afternoon. Here is why we encourage homeowners in Greensboro, Reidsville and the surrounding counties to plant now rather than wait.
Why Fall Beats Spring for New Plantings
Roots grow whenever the soil is warm enough, even after the leaves drop. In October and November our red clay still holds plenty of summer heat, so a tree or shrub planted now keeps growing roots underground while the top of the plant rests. By the time spring arrives, it already has a working root system and can put its energy into leaves and flowers.
A spring-planted shrub has to do the opposite. It is pushing new growth up top at the same time it is trying to establish roots, and then summer heat and dry spells hit before it is ready. That is why spring plantings often need babying through their first summer, while fall plantings tend to take care of themselves. Cooler weather also means less watering for you, fewer pests and much less transplant stress on the plant.
Good Choices for Piedmont Yards
Fall is a great time to plant most deciduous trees and shrubs, along with the broadleaf evergreens that give our landscapes structure through winter. A few dependable favorites for our area include:
- Shade and street trees such as red maple, willow oak and river birch
- Flowering ornamentals like dogwood, redbud, crape myrtle and Japanese maple
- Evergreen foundation shrubs including hollies, boxwood, loropetalum and camellia
- Flowering shrubs such as oakleaf hydrangea, abelia and viburnum
The one group we hold off on is tender or marginal plants that may not like a cold snap in their first winter. For everything else, the earlier in fall you plant, the more time the roots have before the ground cools in December.
Planting Right in Red Clay
Our clay soil is fertile, but it drains slowly and packs down hard. A tree planted too deep or in a narrow hole in clay can sit in water and struggle for years. A few habits make a big difference:
- Dig the hole wide, two to three times the width of the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball itself
- Set the plant so the root flare sits slightly above the surrounding grade to keep water from pooling at the trunk
- Loosen circling roots on container-grown plants so they grow outward instead of strangling the trunk later
- Backfill mostly with the native soil you dug out so roots do not stay stuck in a soft pocket
- Finish with a two- to three-inch layer of mulch or pine straw, pulled back a few inches from the trunk
Caring for New Plantings Through Winter
Fall plantings are low maintenance, but they are not no maintenance. Water deeply once or twice a week during dry stretches until the ground gets cold, and keep an eye on evergreens in particular, since they keep losing moisture through their leaves all winter. Skip the fertilizer for now. Pushing soft new growth right before a freeze does more harm than good, and the plant has everything it needs to focus on roots. Stake a new tree only if it will not stand on its own, and remove the stakes after the first growing season so the trunk can strengthen.
Thinking About the Whole Bed
Fall is also the time to step back and look at how your beds work together. Are the foundation shrubs outgrowing the windows? Is there a bare corner that needs an anchor tree? Does the bed need a crisper edge or a better layer of mulch before the holidays? Our custom plantings and softscape team helps homeowners sort out plant selection, spacing and soil prep so that what goes in this fall still looks right ten years from now.
Ready to Plant This Fall?
Whether you want a single shade tree, a refreshed foundation planting or a completely new landscape bed, now is the time to get it in the ground. Garrison’s Landscaping has been planting in Piedmont clay for more than 25 years, and we would be glad to help you choose the right plants and install them the right way. Request a free estimate and let’s get your yard ready for a beautiful spring.