Planting Trees in the Fall?

[l008com]

What is the cutoff date for when I can plant trees in the Fall? I'm in Massachusetts. I wanted to do this months ago but I never got around to it so here we are.

I want to plant three mini maples, I think they're called Shantung maple, or something.

If it's too late, can I buy them and just keep them in buckets and keep them growing in buckets until next spring?

In addition to mini maples, I also want to plant a few Arorviteas along the back. Is there a "time limit" for planting those too? The leaves probably won't start falling en mass for at least another 4 weeks or so.

 

[Anniekay]

You can have hard freezes in Mass ( I was born and raised there) as soon as October and you don't want to plant anything now and have the roots freeze before the plant can get it's roots eastablished in the soil. One month's time is not really adequate for roots to become established.

Best bet is to hold off, buy your plants in spring, plant after frost danger has passed and then you won't be wasting your money trying to keep plants alive ( where? Heated greenhouse? ) or in the house over winter where they will suffer and be weakened from lack of sunlight.

 

[roadrunner]

This guy says Fall is the best time to plant a tree.

 

[blenor]

Tree planting season in the UK is between November and March except Scotland and N Ireland which is up to April because it is colder. The tree is dormant. So I guess this is the same in the US depending on the weather you get, as the man says. October is recommended for Massachusetts. A Mycorrhizal fungus can be sprinkled around roots and planting hole to aid root growth.

 

[roadrunner]

Don't forget to ensure you plant correctly, i.e. if root bound in the container, unbound the roots and do not bury the tree too deep. I see this problem all the time with the trees my city has planted. They're wasting money on organizations that incorrectly plant trees.

If your tree looks like a telephone pole in the ground, it's too deep -- the root flare should be visible.

Link shows images of root flare vs "telephone pole" tree

What is the proper way to mulch trees?

A good donut-like ring of mulch kept inches away from a young tree trunk can reduce the likelihood of tree damage from string trimmers, lawn mowers.

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