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  • From: Jay Cutts <orders@cuttsreviews.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Best time to transplant trees/shrubs: Fall or Spring?
  • Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:12:45 -0600

For any of you in climates similar to ours in NM, I'd have to say that both spring and fall planting are problematic!

Our springs here are dry, unlike most April shower places. We also have late frosts relative to the warmth that we can have during the earlier spring. A bareroot tree planted out dormant in March or April will suffer from occassional lack of water (because of late frost, I can't turn on the irrigation system until mid-May) and will probably break dormancy early and get smacked by frost and drying winds and sun. Many times the plants that I order have already broken dormancy when they arrive and they rarely survive. A nurseryman once convinced me to plant a dormant tree in February to make sure it was good and dormant but it suffered from the above and was dead by May.

I have not typically done fall planting but with our lack of snow cover, lack of moisture and strong sun and wind, I doubt that a new tree would make it.

I've had to resort to the following method. When a bareroot tree arrives in early spring, I pot it up and grow it on in a protected location. This means a lot of babying. Once frost danger is well past - which also means I can irrigate regularly - I transplant it into its permanent place. This method works very well. When I plant the tree up, I put a couple layers of newspaper into the pot first. When I'm ready to transplant, I let the pot dry somewhat and can then remove mass of soil (it of course has not formed a root ball yet) by lifting out the newspaper and get the tree into its hole with minimal disturbance.

Regards,

Jay

Jay Cutts
Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews
Lead Author, Barron's Test Prep Publications
800-353-4898 day or eve, 7 days
(In NM, 505-281-0684)



On 8/18/2011 10:56 AM, tanis cuff wrote:

S. WI, a county or 2 NE of Steve H, I've been using autumn transplanting more& more. Tree
survival& next year's growth is about as good as waiting til the "correct"
springtime planting. But, I may be lucky in that the years I've transplanted the most, we've
had decent snowfalls before the ground freezes. I try to mulch well too, but that means good
vole protection required.

For me it depends on other autumn plans vs spring plans. How busy will I be
with other work which MUST be done at only their season?

Our recent autumns seem to be warmer than the past, and leaves are hanging on
longer, especially the nursery stock. I fertilize only lightly& only til
mid July, but still might have leaves on stuff I want to transplant, into early
Nov. I'm finding good success with transplants moved late but before they look
fully dormant. Water thoughly!

(Hey Steve! How's the tree? Another of the same combo I gave to a Madison
yard died above the graft this year. And one I kept isn't growing...)

----------------------------------------
From: chandos49
To: nafex
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:53:09 +0000
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Best time to transplant trees/shrubs: Fall or Spring?

So far I've managed both, here in E. WA, with the majority of plantings in
late winter/early spring with dormant stock. Here the ground is wettest (very
sandy soil) at the end of winter and spring puts little strain on things,
with regular showers through the first half of June. They have a chance to
establish well before the 60 day drought we often get in summer. Planting in
September is dicy due to dry conditions, but Halloween to Thanksgiving works
fine.
That said, I've had difficulty on occasion with the soil not rich enough for
some things. The ducks continue to improve the yard and the success rate
rises.

Dave Liezen


Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:11:03 -0500
From: loneroc1
To: nafex
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Best time to transplant trees/shrubs: Fall or Spring?

In the north spring is the best time, so the roots have the summer to
establish themselves before the harshest season, winter. I hear from
southerners that fall is best. The trees take advantage of the mild winter to
establish prior to the torrid summers. I suspect that in the northwest that
fall would be preferable, since summers are generally rainless. I never
transplant anything after the early spring unless absolutely necessary.

Steve Herje SW Wisconsin Usda zone 3/4


Steven Covacci wrote:

When is the best time to transplant deciduous trees/shrubs: Fall or Spring? I
figure Fall since there will be days when the temperatures are above 32 F.
and root growth can, then, occur; conversely, I would expect spring just in
case reduction of feeder roots could be a problem during dry weeks, free of
snow cover, when further die-back occurs when the upper-most layer of the
ground freezes continually.


Thanks,
Steve - NJ 6b/7a


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