If you’re going to plant a tree with a Bios ® Urn, one of the things you need to keep in mind is the best time of year to plant a tree. This is an essential consideration for your tree to have the best chance of growing well
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, fall is often considered the best time to plant trees.
Trees and shrubs planted in autumn and, to some extent, winter, have the best chance of becoming fully established and require minimal maintenance. Find out why below.
Remember that you can keep your in a cool, dry place indefinitely until it’s the best time to plant your tree.
The Best Time to Plant a Tree
For many people in the Northern Hemisphere, spring has become the default season when it comes to planting and growing a garden, and understandably so. Harsh winters and lack of vegetation make us want to refresh our gardens and green spaces. Indeed, spring can be a great time of year to plant, depending on where you live. But autumn is perhaps even more ideal for your trees.
The best time to plant trees varies from region to region, of course. In moderate locations where the weather is consistent year-round, there may not be a preferred planting season, which an internet search should provide more information about. But for many areas that experience seasons, fall may be the best time to plant trees.
What do we mean by “autumn planting”?
The end of August, September, and October are the best months, but in general, trees and shrubs planted in the fall or winter have a better chance of becoming fully established.
However, it all depends on when autumn really feels in the air. As long as the hottest days of summer have passed and the ground isn’t frozen yet, you can plant trees.
If you decide to plant your Bios urn in winter, during the colder months of the year, avoid doing so if the ground is frozen due to extreme frosts or if the soil is extremely soggy (water remains on the soil surface or in the planting hole undrained).
Reasons Why Fall Is the Best Time to Plant a Tree
Trees and shrubs planted in autumn/winter require minimal maintenance because the soil is like the sea: it takes all year to warm up and all winter to cool down. So, planting in the fall or mild winter months means planting in fairly warm soil conditions (regardless of cooler surface temperatures).
Planting in the fall provides trees with an extra growing season before the stress of summer. The combination of cooler temperatures and fall rains allows trees to take root, making it easier for them to adapt to extreme heat or summer drought.
Many people fear that young trees won’t be able to withstand the winter. This is not the case. Trees go into dormancy in winter, the equivalent of hibernation. This “sleepy” state slows down the tree’s growth, energy consumption, and metabolism. It is safe to plant trees until the ground is completely frozen, usually after the first hard frost. Even if there is snow on the ground, if you are able to stick a shovel in the soil, you can plant. When trees and shrubs are dormant, they require minimal maintenance (e.g., minimal watering and pruning, unless there is a sudden winter heat wave).
Another advantage of planting trees in the fall is that during the colder months of the year you can buy plants with root balls. These are trees and shrubs that grow directly from the ground and can be purchased without a pot. These root ball plants have a solid root ball at the base and this one prepares for planting fairly quickly after delivery. If the root ball is larger than the top lid of your Bios® Urn, simply remove the top label and place the root ball on top of the urn in the soil. Then follow the rest of our planting instructions as usual.
Root ball trees and shrubs are usuallya cheaper option than container plants, but they can only be purchased in cold weather. As soon as the weather heats up, the root ball dries out too quickly if it is not planted in the ground.