(Note: It’s not too late to pre-order shrubs and trees from Citizens for Conservation during their Fall sale running through Tuesday. Click here for details.)
When you plant a tree, make sure the root flare — the place where the stem or trunk flares out into the root — sits at or slightly above the level of the soil. That way, you’ll bury the roots, but not the stem.
Planting or transplanting a tree, shrub or perennial is all about giving its roots a good home in the soil.
“It’s the only time we see the roots and can focus on what they need,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic of The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “The rest of the time, we tend to forget them.” But a plant can only grow the parts we enjoy — the leaves and flowers and branches — if it has a healthy root system to supply water and nutrients.
Once a tree or shrub is planted, it will be very hard to tell if something has gone wrong with the roots, and it will be difficult, often impossible, to correct root problems that can stunt or even kill a plant.
“Taking care when planting is an investment toward avoiding problems,” she said.
Early fall is an excellent time to plant or transplant trees and shrubs, Yiesla said: “If you get the plant in the ground by early October and you keep it watered, it will have several weeks or more to get its roots established before the soil freezes.”
Most often, homeowners purchase trees and shrubs in large pots. Here are suggestions from Yiesla and the Plant Clinic for giving container-grown plants’ roots a good start.
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