The leaves are just now changing color in Atlanta. The ruby reds, outstanding oranges, and glittering golds will continue to erupt as the weather cools.
In spring, after a long winter, people are eager to get outside and plant. Spring is a fresh start. But, while
spring is a time of renewal in the landscape, fall is the opposite.
Fall feels like a conclusion to the year. The brilliant colors, like the grand finale of a fireworks show or an encore in a theater production, always signal a time of change in the landscape, a time of closure.
While fall may feel like the end of the growing season, it’s the beginning of the perfect time to plan improvements for your Atlanta commercial property.
It is an ideal time for fall planting or transplanting trees and shrubs in your landscape. Here’s why.
Cool air, warm soils
While fall isn’t the only time to plant or transplant trees and shrubs, it’s an optimal time. Why? Because after the leaves begin to fall from a tree, for instance, the plant becomes dormant and less active. But the soil remains warm enough to encourage root growth that is much needed to sustain the tree through its first critical year in the landscape. So planting or transplanting trees in fall results in significant root expansion that will be ready to aid the entire plant come spring.When the weather warms again and the leaves unfurl, those boosted roots can better access the water they need for growth.
Stability
In spring, generous rains can make planting difficult. Also, the sudden onset of hot, dry weather that can come in summer after an often too-short spring can harm tender new transplants.
On the other hand, moderate and relatively stable air temperatures prevail in fall, and soil temperatures and moisture levels are usually in a steady range. This promotes rapid root development that plants need to get established in a new space.
Reduced stress
Because they have a smoother start, trees planted or transplanted in the fall are better equipped to deal with the heat and drought that may come the following season.
Fall color
Planting or transplanting your trees and shrubs in fall also gives you the option to choose new plant locations based on fall color rather than spring flowers or summer growth. This presents a fun alternative for commercial property managers who plan for a more dramatic fall impact in the landscape.
As planting experts, HighGrove can answer all of your fall planting and transplanting questions.
If your commercial property has reached five years with the same plants in the same place, now might be a time to move crowded plants to new homes and freshen your overall landscape look.
