Planting trees and shrubs around your home or compound is an excellent way to improve the appearance of your home as well as improving the curb appeal and value to your home. However, in an area like Orange County, California, which is affected much by very rainy winters and dry summer, knowing the best time to plant trees is always a hard task for tree lovers. Most of the tree lovers have a tendency of picking up tree seedling and plant it anyhow even without reviewing the methods behind the planting manner.

Timing is an important factor especially for those plant species that need time to develop their root system and acclimatize to their new lives. In Southern California, fall is the best time to plant trees. Give your tree its greatest chance to a healthy and a long life by planting at the right time and leaning the best planting techniques. Additionally, the timing of planting will also depend on the type of tree you are planning to pant.

Advantages of planting trees in fall

• Cooler weather is suitable for tree planting because the chances of trees being stressed by extreme heat are low.

• Extra growth of roots. The newly planted trees will have a great chance to establish its root system all through the winter. Well enough, when the warmth of spring hits your trees, it will have already established a root system, therefore, focusing more on the top growth. The tree will then be prepared to deal with the heat and drought.

• The amount of water needed is minimal. Fall has shorter days and calmer weather; therefore newly planted trees will need little water compared to what they would have needed in spring. The rate of soil moisture evaporation is low.

• You can pick your trees by the fall color produced. There are great variations of fall color trees that give some impressive colors from golden varieties to rich reddish-purple and make shades amongst them.

• Great time for landscapers since there will be no heat to deal with.

Proper planting techniques for trees in fall

The best way to select the perfect tree seedlings to plant is by knowing the planting zone that you live in. One main factor that will determine whether you newly planted trees will survive is the temperature. There are certain trees that don’t like cold weather and will die if exposed to extreme cold or frost. An example of such tree is the ficus tree. On such a case, the best thing to do is to plant in a different time, like spring.

Selection of plants

Choosing the right tree for your necessities and locality is a significant thing. Different plants have different needs, like the type of soil, water, and light requirement. It is advisable to always reach out to a professional gardener if you are hesitant of the best tree for your location.

Depth and width of the planting hole

While planting, make the hole 2-3 times broader than the root ball. Also evade using soft, cottony soil as a momentary answer to help the plant grow; doing that will prevent the growth of the plant in future days. It is a good thing to use the same soil that the tree will grow in for its new life on your property.

Additives and mulch

Additives depend on the plant. However, they may not be necessary for natural soil since the natural soil is good. On the other hand, mulching has numerous benefits to newly planted trees. It assists the plant to hold soil moisture, suppresses the growth of weeds and improves the soil over time as it decays into manure for trees.

Watering

Most of the counties in Southern California are limiting the use of water due to the drought. Due to this, there is a fine that one will pay if found using the surpassed amount of water rations. Planting trees in the fall will give a full advantage of using the natural rainfall so you will escape the burden of municipal water supplies.

There are many hints to consider while planting trees. It is always a good idea to work with a qualified landscaping professional who has a good reputation. There are many benefits of working with a qualified landscaper including getting the advice about the best plant choices. The specialist will help you plan your landscape and make sure that all the trees are planted at the right time and apply all the best techniques.