After months of scorching hot weather, the Fall season starts to offer up cool nights and deciduous delights. Fall is the optimum time to plant trees and shrubs. Plants have ample time to recover from planting and proliferate roots before spring growth begins. When the air temperatures are cooler than the soil, the new growth is encouraged to grow without new top growth, making for a stronger, better- developed root systems.
Trees benefit you and your community by improving water and air quality as they naturally filter pollutants that would otherwise enter our waterways. They also provide shade that reduces lawn water needs, reducing water and energy bills, but most importantly they slow stormwater runoff to reduce soil erosion. For maximum effect, plant trees to shade the east and west sides of your home. In winter months, trees act as a windbreak, helping protect your home from the cold. Evergreen trees planted on the north side of your home and shrubs planted around the foundation will reduce the cooling effects of winter winds. The proper planting depth plays a vital role in oxygen exchange for tree and shrub roots. Symptoms of planting too deeply may not be exhibited until several years down the road. The lack of oxygen to the roots causes poor root growth and development, which in turn can lead to an infection from plant pathogens that cause root rots. An easy way to ensure the root flare is planted in the correct position is to plant the top of the root ball no deeper than the surrounding soil or better yet, call Purple Care. Chinese Pistache, Japanese Maples, Pecans, Oaks, Vitex and Cypresses are beautiful tree additions. Shrubs to plant this fall are Nelly Steven Hollys, Boxwoods, Ligustrums, Artemisia, Elaeagnus, Junipers and Nandinas.
Extend your garden season by filling outdoor spaces with fall and winter annuals that blend beauty with cold tolerance. Fall is a great time to plant winter-blooming annuals because the still-warm soil will stimulate faster root growth, helping the plants to get established sooner. There are many winter blooming varieties of flowers that prefer the cool season to perform their best. Most sun annuals need at least 4 to 6 hours of sun per day, while shade annuals prefer just morning shade and can tolerate full shade as long as there is some filtered light. Most annuals will perform better in flower beds that have been turned over and been amended with our proprietary organic topsoil conditioner and fertilizer. This helps ensure not only added nutrients to native soil, but it increases water retention and good drainage. For Fall to Winter annual planting we recommend Lenten Roses, Violas, Red Giant Mustard, Rumex Sanguineus, Variegated Glacier & Thorndale Ivy, Stock Vintage Mix, Swiss Chard Bright Lights, Cabbage, Kale, Tuscan Blue Rosemary, Dusty Miller & Cyclamen Poppy are several plants that have lasting vitality in the North Texas region for pops of color and sweet aromas for your winter oasis.