End of Season Planting Tips:
/If you can dig a hole, you can still put plants in the ground
It’s a great time to plant trees even if there are no leaves on it. The roots are what will develop and grow from now until spring.
When planting use Sally’s “Wet plant, wet hole” technique:
Water the pot (soak it).
Dig the hole.
Fill the hole with water and then let it drain completely.
Then plant your plant.
Planting in fall you can pay attention to things you may miss at the height of spring or summer: branch structure, bark texture, bark color, and fall berries.
If any of your established bushes or trees look wilted, make sure you water them. If you let plants go into winter stressed, you will have more winter die-off and damage.
Tip for watering even established trees and shrubs: leave your hose on a trickle, set your timer and leave it for an hour or two.
Water the Roots
Even if your tree or shrub or perennial has lost it's leaves, the roots of the plant are still alive, growing, and in need of water.
Especially anything you planted this year!
Water deep and long--not short and shallow.
If you just wet the leaves of your plants, you are doing them no good. The soil needs to absorb the moisture and ideally, soak deep below the surface to reach all the thirsty roots.
You may also need to water during warm spells in February or March if we don't get a lot of rain or snow through the winter.
Here's the full Victoria Gardens' Watering Guide.
