Fall is more than football and Halloween ghosts and goblins.

“It’s an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs,” said Mark Barnett, a local master gardener.

Planting them during the dormant season gives the roots time to gain strength before the hot weather arrives.

Master Gardener Mark Barnett holds a Chinese Pistache tree, which is a good tree to plant this time of year.
Duane A. Laverty/Waco Tribune-Herald

The first step is to choose the right tree or shrub for this part of the state and make sure it has plenty of room, vertically and horizontally, for the canopy and roots to grow.

From there, Barnett recommends the following approach to planting:

*  Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and make sure the hole is no deeper than the top of the root ball. It may prove beneficial to plant the tree 1 to 3 inches above the surrounding ground to allow for settling.

*  Place the tree on solid soil. Don’t loosen the soil under the root ball. Some experts say not to add compost or bark, but Barnett recommends adding compost to make up for deficiencies in thin or rocky soil.

*  Gently tamp down the soil around the root ball.

*  Water thoroughly to eliminate air pockets.

*  Use soil to build a 4-inch-tall berm around the edge of the hole. Add a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch inside the ring, but never cover the root flare.

Once the tree or shrub is in place, Barnett recommends soaking it with a slow-running water hose once or twice a week. It also should get a soaking if a hard freeze is predicted.

Master Gardener Carol Wood suggests turning the hose volume down to a trickle and placing the hose next to a tree or shrub for two hours twice a week.

“Of course, if you’re getting a lot of rain, you don’t have to do that,” Wood said.

Most experts recommend not fertilizing the tree or shrub after planting it in the fall. Spring is the time for that, and even then go light on fertilizer because it can burn roots.

“I don’t recommend standard fertilizers,” Barnett said, “but root stimulators provide a little help.”

Stake your claim

Staking the tree is considered a last resort. Some experts believe staking weakens a tree’s ability to thrive on its own once the stakes are removed and also can damage the bark, making it easier for pests to infiltrate.

Shown are leaves of a Bur Oak tree, which is popular with autumn planters.
Duane A. Laverty/Waco Tribune-Herald

In this area, though, Wood said staking sometimes is necessary to combat the wind.

“If you do stake, you don’t want it rigid. It has to have some give,” Barnett said.

The Texas Forest Service reminds planters to remove all foreign materials from the root ball.

This includes wires, twine, cords, containers and non-biodegradable bags. If planting a tree with roots wrapped in burlap, remove as much of the burlap as possible. This allows water to seep in and the roots to grow out.

Protecting shrubs and trees from animals and humans is not difficult, the forest service reports.

It recommends staking to the ground a wire-mesh cage at least 3 feet in diameter and 4 feet tall to keep deer and livestock from munching on them. It also can protect trees from weeding machines.

mcopeland@wacotrib.com

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