I love the fall for planting, and with some warmth left in Guelph, now is the time to get trees into the ground before the frost comes. In this guide, we’ll dig into what trees I suggest you should plant now, including some of our favourites at Royal City Nursery, and some basics for fall planting care.
Planting trees in the fall is great for a few reasons, but one of the primary benefits is the warm soil, which promotes some strong root growth. As the soil retains its summer warmth, newly-planted trees have loads of time to establish their root systems before winter sets in, leading to a strong foundation that helps trees withstand the challenges of the Southern-Ontario elements.
People often undervalue trees when they’re planting, but if you think about it, planting a tree in the right spot can not only add aesthetic value, but reduce your utility costs! Try a deciduous tree on the south side and an evergreen tree on the north side, and you’ll reduce some of the heating and cooling bills inside. If you’re going to look at getting some evergreens this October, we always recommend burlap wrap for the first season so they have an opportunity to do some root growth before subjecting the foliage to the drying winter winds. They don’t have the benefit of the full season to establish with a fall planting, so this will put you further ahead. You can also use an anti-transpirant like Wilt-Pruf to reduce the amount of water loss through the needles.
One of the things when we are looking at any type of fall planting is watering, because people forget to water! In Guelph, most of us are turning off the taps by Thanksgiving weekend, and that’s about the time we’re doing the last of the outside chores. The biggest advantage we have in fall is the cooler nights, which mean more dew and condensation—maybe even more rain. We don’t have to water as heavily right now as we did through the summertime, but you still need a good soaking of water once a week right up until freeze up.
In terms of what to plant, for me the sky’s the limit and your choices don’t necessarily get any slimmer because it’s fall. If you are looking at trees to plant right now, here are some of our favourite species:
When we’re looking at pruning in the fall garden, I don’t generally tend to do a whole lot, but summer flowering things we can do. I like doing a bit more pruning in very early spring, or even in winter, and because there are no leaves, it becomes easier to see the shape of the trees. What we don’t want to prune right now, in many cases, is any of the early spring stuff. Lilacs, for example, we don’t touch in the fall because they’ve already got their new flower buds. Many plants, in fact, grow new buds on old wood, so be sure you know what you’re pruning to avoid losing all of next year’s flowers!
Fall is still a good time to at least take a good look at your plants, and if you’ve got something that’s dead, dying, diseased, or broken, it’s got to go. I am definitely a fan of pruning roses back in the fall, but you’ll probably want to only prune them to about a third with the knowledge that you might have to take a few more tips off next spring if there is any winter damage.
Plants that are heavier bleeders, such as maples, birch, and wisteria, are better pruned in the fall to prevent any damage.
Tree planting and pruning can be an excellent part of your Guelph garden clean up for fall, and our team at Royal City Nursery is here to guide you every step of the way! For more advice on what to cut right now, and what to cut later on, come see us today for all things Fall in the garden.
