INDIANAPOLIS — Many people are getting anxious to be outside and do some spring planting and landscape work, but Indiana weather has not warmed up enough to allow for that.
Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden said during his weekly 13Sunrise DIY segment on Sunday that spring is the best time for planting landscape trees. You will probably find trees in shorter supply than usual at garden centers this spring. Sullivan said his garden centers normally receive about 85% of the trees they order each spring. "This year, it was just over 50%," he said. "And, the national average was about 37%."
Which is all the more reason if you are lucky enough to find a tree you like, that you plant correctly so you don't waste your investment.
"This is the ideal time to plant trees," Sullivan said, "because it's cool."
The wet ground will make it easier to dig the hole, too.
One of the most common mistakes people make, according to Sullivan, is digging a hole that's too small when they bring home a tree in a pot. "You want to have a hole that's about twice the size and to the depth of that pot," he explained.
Clay soil in Indiana can act as its own pot and retard root growth. Some experts recommend mixing the clay soil that's dug from the planting hole with softer soil like garden soil to give roots an easier path. "Girdled roots can actually kill the tree," Sullivan said. He recommended digging another ring outside the planting hole to loosen clay soil and encourage more root spread.
Young trees may need to be staked so they aren't bent by strong winds before they can take root.
Don't forget to call 811 before you dig so you don't cut a utility line.
Watch Pat's full Sunrise segment in the video player.