Springtime brings a vision of planting trees as volunteers celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day, and we enter the start of warmer months. However, fall is another fantastic time to plant that has its own unique set of benefits for tree health and survivability. Trees Forever’s Southwest Iowa Field Coordinator, Brad Riphagen, has decades of experience planting trees throughout the seasons. Here are his thoughts on the benefits of fall tree plantings:
Fall planting is great for broadleaf trees and can be continued throughout the season until the ground starts showing its first signs of freezing. Transplanting is a major stressor for trees. During the fall, trees are already starting the dormancy process. In this state, I believe trees experience less of a shock while being handled and transplanted. The most important process for a newly planted tree is root establishment. During fall, trees are no longer putting their energy towards leaf production and have already stored energy from the summer’s sun rays. When a tree finds its new home in the fall, the majority of that energy can go towards establishing new roots in the surrounding soil.
Fall weather is also ideal for new trees. Fall planting reduces the chance of young trees being stressed by extreme heat and drought conditions that they might experience in the spring or summer. Fall temperatures are usually moderate to cool, which is easier on the trees as they are establishing themselves in their new surroundings. The soil also stays warm longer than the air as the season advances, which further encourages root growth. Fall rain also helps trees settle into their new soil and results in less supplemental watering needed from tree owners (new trees should be watered until the ground begins to freeze). Trees then have the following spring to continue root establishment before the hot and dry conditions of summer appear.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Evergreens, for instance, benefit from being planted earlier in the season. It is best to have them planted in late summer to early fall so they have time to establish roots before winter arrives. There is still plenty of time left to plant. Get out there and get your hands dirty! For more information on planting and tree care, visit: https://treesforever.org/planting-resources/
Information provided by Trees Forever and Brad Riphagen, who is the Southwest Iowa Field Coordinator with Trees Forever. He has been with the organization since 1995.
