The Benefits of Fall Planting for Cedar Trees

NOTE: This article was authored by Van’s Pine Nursery of West Olive, Michigan and had originally appeared in fall their 2017 Product Launch Publication.

There are many benefits to planting in the Fall. Below are a few to consider:
 
The soil takes a while to warm up from a winter’s worth of cold and a plant’s roots grow slowly in chilled earth. In Fall, the soil still holds summer’s warmth, which encourages root growth. Fall planting gets shrubs and trees off to a faster start the following spring.  
 
The warm soil allows the plant to develop strong, healthy roots. Photosynthesis slows down due to shorter days and cooler air temperatures allow less foliage growth and more root growth. This means you will need to water your new plants less often. 
 
With Fall-planted plants, once spring arrives, the established root system allows the plant to be much more able to cope with varying weather conditions. Spring-planted shrubs and trees will likely do worse in the same conditions because they do not have a strong, healthy root system yet. In addition to the weather, Fall planting is easier on plants because weeds have mostly gone dormant, so the new plants do not need to compete with weeds until spring. Pests are also less of an issue in fall, although rodents can still cause problems.
 
In addition, Fall planting is easier on your schedule. Since Fall weather is more predictable, Fall gives you more time to plant. You can take each step as you have time, rather than trying to work between the heat waves, cold snaps, rain and even unexpected late snows of spring.