At this time of year, the gardener is constantly reminded by nursery catalogs, newspaper columns, and magazine articles of the merits of setting out plants in the Fall.
Much can be said in favor of fall planting for certain types of plants, but since nothing on this earth of ours is wholly good, the gardener needs to know which plants and under what conditions it may be safe to transplant them before cold weather rather than afterward.
Raspberries and Blackberries
In general, it has been found in this latitude that the small fruits transplant much more safely at this time of year than do the tree fruits.
Among the brambles, it has long been our recommendation at the University of Massachusetts that red raspberries are best set in late fall, anytime during late October or November when plants are available, provided the ground has not yet frozen.
Planted at this time of year, the plants become well established in the soil and get off to an earlier start of growth in the Spring than do even early Spring-set plants.
As a preventive measure against heaving during winter with very little snow cover, it would be wise to place a small amount of mulch over each plant after it is set out.
Blackberries, because of their similar habit of growing from suckers, should also be satisfactorily Fall planted.
On the other hand, the tip-layer plants of black and purple raspberries may not have their roots sufficiently well developed in time for autumn planting; therefore, they are probably more safely transplanted in the early spring.
Bush Fruits and Grapes
It is probably safer to transplant bush fruits such as currants and gooseberries in the Spring. Yet with proper mulching, these two fruits’ plants will probably survive the winter satisfactorily because their tops are relatively small and their root systems adequate.
Cultivated blueberries, if purchased bare-rooted, as many of them are these days, are preferably planted during the spring. Their roots are considerably more delicate than those of most fruit plants.
On the other hand, blueberry plants that are balled and burlapped may be safely transplanted during the fall since the roots of plants so treated have little chance to dry out during the transplantation operation.
Grapes – the other principal woody small fruit plant, may be satisfactorily set out in the fall. Their tops are usually cut back rather severely after planting so that little wood is exposed during the winter.
Here again, mulching is advisable to reduce the danger of heaving before new root growth starts the next Spring.
Because the buds on grape plants start much less rapidly than do those on red raspberry plants, there is not as much advantage in Fall setting grapes as red raspberries.
Strawberries
Early spring has long been considered to be the ideal time to plant strawberries, where maximum production per mother plant set is the objective.
When planted at that time of year, they have a full growing season in which to develop large crowns and an adequate number of early-formed vigorous runner plants, which are necessary to obtain high yields the following June.
In recent years, however, considerable interest has developed in pushing the date of planting strawberries from early spring back to late fall.
Such a practice has certain disadvantages: the plants must be mulched two winters instead of one, and even though mulched, there is considerable danger of some heaving that first winter that they are in the ground.
On the other hand, fall-set plants will start growing earlier in the spring than will spring-set plants; therefore, they have a longer period in which to develop those husky early summer plants, which are so essential to high production.
Great Early Runner Formation On Fall-Set Plants
Limited tests at the University of Massachusetts during the past two years indicate that early runner formation may be two to three times as great on fall-set plants of Howard (Premier) and Catskill as on spring-set plants of those varieties.
Yields the following spring may be expected to be considerably greater – 50% percent or more – on the fall-set plants than on the plants set in early Spring.
If such results are to be obtained, one must remove all blossoms which develop the first spring after setting so that the development of a few mediocre fruits does not check early runner formation.
The fall-set plants used in these tests so far have been set about October 15, but in all probability, anytime during October or even early November before the ground would be satisfactory.
Mulching the first winter can be readily provided by pouring one to two quarts of sawdust directly over each plant.
If the winter is open, the wind may make it necessary to replenish the sawdust on some of the plants. In the spring, this sawdust may be cultivated into the soil.
Pot-grown runner plants should be used when the fruit is desired the first June after setting. In that case, the planting time should be as early in the summer as such plants are available in the nursery; then, they have adequate time to develop.
Fall-Set Tree Fruits
Although, indeed, good results are sometimes had with fall-set fruit trees, our experience has been such that we cannot recommend fall planting for any of the tree fruits in this latitude.
The percentage loss of fall-set fruit trees is apt to be considerably greater than in the Spring.
In the first place, to reach you in time for fall planting, most fruit trees must be dug in an immature condition and have their leaves artificially stripped before they leave the nursery.
Such practices prevent the normal maturing of the wood and deprive the tree of a considerable amount of its essential carbohydrate supply.
Both of these conditions are apt to lead to a serious amount of winter-killing in the tops of such trees the first winter after planting.
Furthermore, fall-set tree fruits, unlike several of the small fruit plants, have a considerable part of their tops extending well above the ground during the Winter.
This situation subjects their tops to the drying effects of Winter winds before their roots have become sufficiently established.
Consequently, while Full planting is entirely satisfactory for certain small fruits and may be a safe practice with most of them, it is much safer in this latitude to plant tree fruits in Spring.
44659 by A. P. French