It’s the perfect time of year for planting or moving shrubs, perennials, and trees: The soil’s just right, the mix of rain and sunshine are just right, and as a bonus, discounts abound as garden stores and nurseries are eager to sell off inventory before the winter lull sets in. So if you don’t buy a shrubbery and soon, I’ll be forced to say, “Ni!”
A Boston Globe story gives a nice primer on why you should shop now, and what works and doesn’t work for autumn plantings:
Nurseries want to unload excess inventory, so shop the sales and be flexible about your choices. And don’t buy evergreens. They do better with spring planting. The fact is, most hardy plants actually prefer fall planting.
There’s also lots of good how-to info for getting your plants or shrubs into the ground, like:
Dig the hole, shoveling the dirt into a wheelbarrow where you can mix and enrich it with compost (which you can buy in bags) and a sprinkling of lime and super phosphate. Then, dig an inch of this amended soil back into the bottom of the planting hole. Knock your plant from its pot and use a three-pronged hand cultivator to lightly loosen the outside of the root ball and the sides of the planting hole.
Oh, and if you have no idea what was up with this post’s headline is, congratulations: You are not a Monty Python dork like me. But if you’re interested in pursuing the path to weird comedy dorkhood, here are the Knights Who Say Ni! (and who demand a shrubbery) in The Holy Grail:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UbtcmjfKa8]
Read more:
Q&A: All the Dirt on Gardening with a Small Budget