Dr. Grow: Time to plant: The idea that trees and shrubs should be planted only in spring or fall is outdated

At this time of year I often get questions and comments that go something like this:

"Is it time to plant yet?"

"When is the best time of year to plant?"

"I thought that you could plant trees and shrubs only in the spring and fall."

"Is it too early to plant this fall?"

"Is it too late to plant trees and shrubs?"

"Is there a best time to plant?"

My standard answer to all of these questions and comments is, "You can plant trees and shrubs at any time of year except when the ground is frozen."

The immediate response I get is, "I thought you could only plant in the spring and fall. You mean you can plant in December or in August?"

Yes, you can.

I would like to explain the source of these ideas and try to eliminate the confusion that seems to exist about planting trees and shrubs. Fifty years ago when you went to purchase trees and shrubs, you usually drove to a nursery on the edge of town. First you would see if the nurseryman had the plants you wanted in sawdust beds. These trees and shrubs had been dug during the previous fall to early spring.

If you didn't find what you wanted already dug and stored in sawdust beds, you would walk through fields in which trees and shrubs were growing. You would pick out the specimens you wanted and tag them. Tagged plants were dug by the nurseryman during the winter months when they were in their dormant state. They could then be brought to your home and planted in your yard.

Because most plants were grown in native soil, not in containers like we see today, they could only be dug during the months when they were dormant. If they were dug when they were actively growing in the spring and summer, their chance of survival was very slim. Because of the time during which they were dug, most plants were only available during the spring and fall. Thus the idea of planting only in the spring and fall developed because of plant availability.

Today most plants are grown in containers. When you take them out of containers to plant them you do not sever the roots. Therefore, they do not undergo digging shock. Since no digging shock occurs, they can be planted at any season of the year.

I am often asked, "If you can plant at any time of the year, why can't you plant when the ground is frozen? Is the ground too cold?"

You don't want to plant when the ground is frozen because it is too hard to dig planting holes. In addition, frozen chunks of ground result in lots of air spaces around the roots after backfilling. These air pockets cause plant failure.

So how do you ensure planting success in August or December? I will discuss that in my next article.