Although yesterday was the first official day of winter, the weather in the New England area has been fairly mild so far. That being said, you might be wondering if you still have time to plant a few more trees and shrubs before the brunt of winter hits. In short, the answer is yes!

Generally speaking it’s usually alright to keep planting into late fall and early winter, as long as the ground has not frozen over yet. While they may need a bit more nurturing throughout the season, your shrubs and trees will be much happier in the ground than left restricted in pots for the winter. If you plan to plant before the first freeze of the season, here are a few tips you should follow:

Don’t fertilize. While fertilizing is usually encouraged, fertilizing new plants this close to winter is a no-go. Feel free to add a bit of compost or extra nourishment to the soil, but save the fertilizer for the spring.

Keep watering. Before the ground freezes you should get as much watering in as possible. This means watering your new plants thoroughly every week or so.

Don’t prune. Let your new plant adjust without interruption. Pruning this early on will cause damage that your new plant will not be able to recover from.

Apply mulch. Adding mulch around the base of your plant will help insulate the roots and keep them safe from freezing winter temperatures.

We hope you enjoy the extended fall weather that the New England area is having, and wish you the best of luck with your final planting session of the season!

Turf Unlimited is a full service lawn care provider, offering a wide variety of lawn care, fertilization, and pest and weed control services to the Massachusetts or New Hampshire area. For more information about our services call 888-649-9919 and schedule your free, in-home estimate today.