As the old Chinese proverb goes:
The Best Time to Plant a Tree Was 20 years Ago.
The Second Best Time is Now!
It rings true at any given time. With summer almost behind us, take advantage of continued warmer weather and plant trees and shrubs. The warm ground will encourage newer root growth before completely going dormant as it starts to cool for winter.
As we approach Thanksgiving, temperatures generally begin cooling off (– we hope they do!). Ground temperatures do not equal above ground temperatures. For example, temperatures above ground can read 45 degrees while just below the ground surface it is a comfy 55.
The biggest temperature changes come about when regular temps are below 30 degrees for 4+ days and nights as the surface (upper few inches) of the ground has a tendency to freeze. Unless there is rainfall or snow, the surface of the ground will dry out.
