Missed the spring planting season? It's not too late to plant.
The Chicago Botanic Garden staff continues to plant all summer long — there is not enough time to get all the planting done only in the spring and fall.
I have been doing a lot of traveling and missed the spring planting season and am wondering if it is OK to still do some planting. There is some very hot weather in the forecast, and I worry about how the new plants will fare.
Some gardeners have the opinion that one should only plant in the spring and fall. There is no reason to stop planting during the summer, in my opinion, and I have always gotten good results doing so. The Chicago Botanic Garden staff continues to plant all summer long — there is not enough time to get all the planting done only in the spring and fall.
The garden centers that I have been shopping at recently all still have a great selection of plants grown in containers and balled and burlapped trees and shrubs. The balled and burlapped trees and shrubs are typically dug in late winter/early spring while dormant and held above ground in the garden centers. Production nurseries are limited in which plants can be dug during the summer season. Bare-root plant material (no soil around the roots) is generally planted in very early spring before growth has begun. Bare-root plants can be held by suppliers in coolers to extend the planting window, but summer is not a good time for installing bare root plants.
Proper watering of plants before and after planting is much more critical during the hot summer season. Plants can be quickly damaged during hot and dry spells if they are not watered enough and can quickly dry out while sitting above ground before installation. It is important to keep plants moist before planting to minimize stress on the new plant material. Plants in containers can sometimes be difficult to remoisten if they are planted in your beds when dry. It is best to water them before planting if the pots have dried out. Plants that are grown in containers have a lighter growing medium that will generally dry more quickly than your garden soil, so they will need more frequent, light watering until their roots grow out into the surrounding garden soil. This may mean watering a couple times a week during very hot periods for the first few weeks of establishment.
Newly installed balled and burlapped plants need about 1 inch of water a week — be sure the root ball is getting water. Evergreen trees, when watered with a sprinkler, can shed water away from the root ball. The garden bed will then be moist while the root ball of the tree is dry; in time, the roots will grow out into the bed, but you need to focus on moistening the root ball throughout the summer. The amount and frequency of watering will vary depending on the soil conditions in your garden and weather conditions. Sandy, very well-drained soils will dry out more quickly than heavier clay loam soils.
Go ahead and plant this summer. Then mulch the new plants to improve the appearance, prevent weeds and help conserve soil moisture.