Follow these steps for confident planting in autumn

I have been asked the following question several times over the last few days: "Can I plant trees and shrubs in the fall, or should I wait until spring?" The nursery industry attempted to answer this question more than 20 years ago when they developed a promotion called "Fall is for Planting."

When I am asked the question, my favorite answer is "When it makes you feel good."

Almost all trees and shrubs can be planted at any time of the year. The season of planting is not as important as the process used to plant a tree or shrub.

I have written about the proper planting process many times, and the same question comes up almost daily in discussion with gardeners: "What do I need to do when planting so that the tree or shrub will thrive?"

Here is my answer.

Garden products such as peat moss, root stimulator and tree and shrub transplanter can help a shrub thrive. (Fred Lynch)

First dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball or pot diameter of the tree or shrub to be planted. Dig it only as deep as the root ball or the depth of the root wad in the pot.

Take the soil dug out of the hole and mix it thoroughly with peat moss in a ratio of 2/3 soil and 1/3 peat. If your soil has high clay content, the peat will make the soil more workable or friable. If your soil is sandy the peat will help the soil hold moisture.

Next, rough up the sides and bottom of the hole. This will reduce the problem of a soil interface that could inhibit root penetration into surrounding soils.

Now pull the plant out of the pot it is growing in. Shoot a jet of water at the root system to open the root ball and get free root ends sticking out in all directions. You may need to use a knife to help open up the root system.

If the tree or shrub root ball is covered with burlap, slit the burlap in several place to allow root penetration out of the burlap. I would shoot a jet of water at the root ball to get the surface wet.

Next apply mycorrhizae to the root wad. One brand on the market is Myke. These are beneficial fungi that colonize the root system of the plant. As these fungi grow, they collect moisture and nutrients from the soil and pass these on to the plant they colonize. The tree or shrub in turn produces sugars and other nutrients to keep the fungi growing. By the way, mycorrhizae will not colonize azaleas, rhododendrons or blueberries.

Place the plant root system in the hole and back fill with the mixture of peat and soil. Then water the plant with a solution of a root stimulator such as 4-10-3 with rooting hormone. The middle number phosphorous should be higher than the first number nitrogen. This will encourage the plant to produce roots rapidly.

When initially watering the tree or shrub after planting, be sure that every pore space in the soil is filled with root stimulator solution. This will result in good root-soil contact that is essential for plant survival.

After planting, be sure to monitor soil moisture for the next few months. When the soil is dry, water the plant so that every pore space in the soil is filled with water. If the soil is wet, don't water. I have seen more plants die from overwatering than underwatering.

If you will follow the procedure listed above you will enjoy planting trees and shrubs because you can be more confidant that the result will be a plant of beauty for several years to come.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702-0699 or by email to news@semissourian.com.