Brr it was cold this week! I was out covering my garden of tomatoes and was glad I did, as here in Minneapolis we actually did get a good frost. And that is unusual for the first frost of the season, it usually hit the suburbs hard a few time first.
So with that frost it must mean that the planting season is done and landscapers should pack up the wheelbarrows and spades- right? NO! There is a huge myth out there about spring and summer being “the time to plant”. However the landscape season is so much longer than one might believe: our crews install up till snow fall or ground freeze ( and last years big snow really put a cabosh on the season). But that is not to say that some materials aren’t picky about when they are installed in the landscape, so here’s a guideline for installation of your newly purchased nursery materials:
- Perennials: by the end of September to begining of October
- Evergreens: by mid to late October
- Deciduous Trees and Shrubs: November or ground freeze
Every year we will see a variation with in these timelines depending on the weather, and this year it really does look like we will be on the early end of the acceptable install dates as the temps are already dipping.
So that means we’re done then- right? No again, just because it may be getting late to install a few plants doesn’t mean your whole project has to wait, there are many times we phase in work, and a good place to start is with the hardscaping. Patios and walls are great work to be done in the fall as road access is usually not restricted and compaction rates on lawns are less due to usually drier soil ( as is this year for sure!) You can then follow up in the spring with the plantings and other finishings and not feel like you are waiting for summer to be here to enjoy your yard!
If you haven’t already started planning your landscape, dont wait- act now!