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[edforest55@hotmail.com]

Hartman's Plantation claims that you will get 20% more growth from 
fall transplanted blueberries. They say that is for zones 5 or warmer.
I've kept my eyes peeled for info on this subject for some time as I 
would like to know the reasons that plants prefer to be planted at 
one time over another. 
The general rule I have been told is evergreens in the spring, 
deciduoius in the fall except chestnut and oak which retain their 
leaves longer into the cold season and lose moisture. 
What I want to know is why some plants do better when transplanted in 
the fall. At first I thought it was because the soil had more of a 
chance to settle tightly up agains the roots so that they would be 
all ready to absorb moisture in the spring. Perhaps that is part of 
the reason or THE reason but I heard that callusing is a factor and 
this seems to me to be the the most logical explanation, that if you 
can make your root cuts in the fall and the soil temperature in the 
fall is conducive to callusing that particular species (and pear and 
apple do like to callus between 50 and warmer temps pear even cooler 
than apple I suspect since the grafts heal later than apple in the 
fall when I chip bud). So that in the spring, when the temps are 
right for root growth, there isn't that two week or so wait for the 
fall planted stock to callus and then send out roots, they can send 
out their roots immediately. If this is actually the way it works 
then, yes, fall planted stock would be two weeks or so  ahead of 
spring planted stock that still is callusing in April, the fall 
planted stock can then take advantage of the wet April soil. 
If this all is the way it works (I'm still just guessing here) then 
one might make it an important practice to at least trim the roots in 
the fall even if they can't be planted right away. Or to trim those 
rootstocks as soon as they arrive rather than to wait to the day 
they're planted. Such a practice might achieve the same advantages as 
fall planting if the condiitions are ok for callusing.
On another but related subject:
This year the apple trees were still loaded with leaves as the ground 
was freezing. I don't ever remember this happening before. So I 
transplanted some trees that had quite a few leaves on them still. I 
pulled the leaves off so that they wouldn't transpire water from a 
compromised root system. But I didn't know if the 
artifial 'abscission' would cause any harm, such as moisture loss or 
hormone imbalances.  Do you know, anyone?
Kevin B



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