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subtropix

planting broadleaf evergreens

subtropix
9 years ago

Can I still plant some broadleaf evergreens...(holly, Osmanthus, Texas Privet, mountain laurel)? Ground is not frozen, temps mild now (mid/upper 50's), but colder in the long range but nothing extreme.

Thanks in advance.

Comments (14)

  • Embothrium
    9 years ago

    Root growth in winter is minimal, plant only those kinds that won't mind going through a cold spell afterward without having become established first.

  • poaky1
    9 years ago

    Now I had read books which said that winter when the soil is not frozen that root growth is happening, and the growing season the aboveground growth is happening. Now in fall the roots are growing also. So dormant season is for root growth and the growing season is for vegative growth. Poaky1

  • Embothrium
    9 years ago

    >So dormant season is for root growthNo it isn't. New roots are formed in spring and existing roots stretch out in fall. At both times chemicals sent from winter buds to the root tips are what cause them to grow. During the spring these chemicals are generated by opening winter stem buds and during the fall these buds produce them after the buds have matured. During summer the roots just chug along, while the plant's energy budget is dominated by flowering, fruiting and foliage functions. Winter is basically a time of hibernation - that is why bare-rooted stock is sold in spring, the feeder roots cut off during the fall dig (in preparation for cold storage) will not be replaced at all until the dormant stem buds come to life in spring.

    This post was edited by bboy on Fri, Dec 26, 14 at 20:13

  • hairmetal4ever
    9 years ago

    The way I understand it, root growth can continue in fall past the time when the tree is essentially dormant, leaf loss for deciduous trees, but of course for broadleaf evergreen this is a little bit less of a solid line.

    However in winter itself, whether the soils frozen or simply just cold, root growth is minimal. To the degree that it does occur, it's mostly elongation of existing root tips, but broken and cut roots will not regenerate new roots until spring.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    9 years ago

    I would think you could get away with planting BLEs that are at least a zone or 2 hardier than where you live, IF the plants are used to the cold rather than sitting in a greenhouse somewhere.

    As for the zone 7 plants, I'd say no, unless you are planning to protect them somehow (enclosure, mulch, etc). Def. not for Texas privet. That one needs to go in in Spring.

    American holly is probably OK. Blue hollies might be OK. Other hollies, it depends on their hardiness.

  • Embothrium
    9 years ago

    Yes, if they have come out of plastic houses they may have been softened by the warmer conditions within them. New spring growth coming on would be a definite signal! But if the buildings have been keep at a suitable temperature it is really too early for this.

  • subtropix
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I will wait till Spring. Fighting off Spring fever as it was near 60 today under brillant sunshine. Had to buy the plants as they were 50% off (since they were being sold for Christmas). Reality is sure to set in soon in terms of Winter. Thanks all, and Happy New Year!!

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    9 years ago

    " Reality is sure to set in soon in terms of Winter. "

    Not every year. Not that we should expect to get so lucky, but IIRC 97/98 never went below about 18F in the suburbs of DC. Cordylines at various shopping centers, even in half-barrel planters, didn't die off even a little in most cases, and were getting pretty big by the end of the next summer.

    Sure means sure LOL. almost surely...I can agree with.

  • poaky1
    9 years ago

    I need to find George O. Cresson and kick his ass then. The author of Ornamental trees. :^). It is an older book, though. I AM JOKING of course. Poaky1

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    9 years ago

    What does George say that is so annoying?

  • edlincoln
    9 years ago

    Every year I plant my Christmas Holly in early January in Zone 6. Usually the Blue/meserve Hollies and the Variegated English Holly survive. Never had much luck with the American Holly.

    It also probably depends on how big a root ball you have. If you have a dormant cold hardy plant in a pot and very little wind, it can sleep in your ground just as easily as in cold storage or in a pot at the Home Depot garden center even if the roots don't grow. Those bare root twigs you plant often have no roots to speak of, and may be a different.

    For me the big advantages of Fall planting are:
    1.) I often get bargains. If it's enough of a bargain it may make up for increased risk it won't take.
    2.) With the vagaries of when nurseries decide to dig plants up, shipping policies, and my schedule, there is often a risk I won't have a chance to plant things until a little too late in the Spring. Nurseries may ship plants when they go dormant THERE, which may not match up with what constitutes an acceptable time to plant where I am.
    3.) Spring tends to end up absurdly overbooked.

    I think your January may be the equivalent of my Fall. Do any of the above issues apply here?

    This post was edited by edlincoln on Fri, Jan 2, 15 at 17:25

  • subtropix
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    edlincoln, thanks for the information. It looks like the window is closing for January. After a brief filtration with Spring and heavy rains, the arctic air moves in. I have previously planted in mid February, but will probably not have time this year and put it off till early April. Plants were bought containerized and are now in my chilly but subtropical greenhouse. All the "Christmas plants" were 50% off and I could not resent (mostly Hollies and hardy Osmanthus). I was all prepared to buy all the Hellebores (Christmas rose, an evergreen perennial that blooms in December), but apparently the big box stores don't realize these plants need to be 'watered' when kept at a constant 72 degree F..
    Happy New Year!!

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    9 years ago

    I think it depends on what you are dealing with.

    I have run into the most trouble moving -and- planting things in mid spring to summer. I plan to start moving some very dormant things in very early March this year, when the chance of severe and deep freezing of the soil drops almost to zero. In these cases waiting until April would be a bad idea IMHO. For example, of the, gosh, 12-15 Larix kaempferi or L. X eurolepis I've tried over the years, 2 might have some kind of gene for phytophthora resistance because they seem to be surviving heavy rains. One is near a drainage outlet in fact, and I almost planted it there as sort of a phenotype challenge to select a genotype! It has survived many floodings that would have killed any standard rhododendron. That's not a good long term spot for it though, so I'm going to move it while still dormant. I think in this case late winter is merely the most convenient time in terms of: before active growth and after long period of winter when rootball could dry out.

    OTOH for something like a camellia, I might wait a little longer but not much, maybe until late March.

    The problem is if you wait until late April, the plant might only have a couple weeks until getting blasted by heat, if it comes very early in mid-May.

  • poaky1
    9 years ago

    Dave George O. Cresson wrote the book that says fall and winter are when root growth happens as long as the ground isn't frozen.Poaky1

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