“When is the best time of year to plant trees and shrubs?”

A question we get often is “When is the best time of year to plant trees and shrubs?”  Because fall naturally brings more rainfall and cooler temperatures, it is the prime time to plant trees and shrubs in Kentucky.  In fact, in Central Kentucky, you can plant trees well into December or even January, depending on the weather.  As long as the ground is not frozen, trees and shrubs can be planted successfully. A good rule of thumb is, if you can dig the hole, you can plant the tree. 

Trees planted in the fall are less likely to get stressed because they are in or going into dormancy.  During this dormancy period trees will stop producing foliage or lose their foliage altogether, so the energy it has can be focused on its root system to stay alive through the cold winter months.    

In spring and summer, trees and are naturally more stressed because they are spending energy producing leaves while dealing with heat.  We don’t recommend planting during the months of July and August. These are the hottest and sometimes driest months in Kentucky. 

For all of these reasons, we encourage planting trees and shrubs in the fall.

The professionals at Lancaster Lawn & Landscaping, LLC can help you choose which trees best suit your residential or commercial property.