Best Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs Is for the Fall

Proper method for planting large trees: hole is at least three times the width of the root ball, stakes are pounded into the solid soil at the bottom, tree trunk is allowed to flex without moving the roots.

Q. My son and I are thinking of landscaping his front yard in December.  Will plants and trees survive when planted that time of year?

 

This Orchard planting the holes were dug and the soil amended before the trees arrived. The hole was much wider than the roots but not much deeper. Soil was amended with compost. Basins were constructed around each tree for hand watering over the next two weeks.

A. Plant all through the winter. Is it the best time to plant? No. The best times to plant are reserved for the fall and spring months. In the Las Vegas climate it is best from late September to mid-November.

Good advice!

            The second-best time for planting is during the spring months of mid-February to the end of April. The absolute worst time to plant is just before and during the hot summer months. In our climate this is from May through the early part of September.

Add water to the planting hole at the same time you backfill around the roots of the tree or shrub. This helps to remove air pockets and secures the plant roots in the soil. Sometimes staking is not needed when this is done correctly.

            Make sure that the holes for planting are at least three times the diameter of the container and not much deeper than this unless there are drainage problems. In a few soils that have layers of caliche there are. But if your neighbors have landscape plants that are doing well then you probably don't have a problem.

            During planting make sure you are watering the amended soil around the roots WHILE you are planting. After planting water these plants by hand for three consecutive days to make sure you have removed air pockets around the roots.

            Construct a basin around the plants and hand water them for the first two weeks before turning them over to drip irrigation.