Expert: Jim Hyland - 6/22/2009

Question
QUESTION: Can Maple trees be planted the first of July

ANSWER: Not very successfully. The heat will cause much damage or death. The best time is not the summer months. Deciduous plants may be moved in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes.


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QUESTION: I got this great deal on 3 Maple trees.  If planting them in July is not good, could they be left in their nursery pots till October?  Any other suggestions.

Answer
I would go ahead and plant them rather than leaving them in the pots. The problem will be water and heat depending on where you live.
IF you do plant them dig the hole 2 to 2 1/2 times the size of the pot and fill with potting soil (the kind that has water holding capabilities would be great). Make sure the rootball is intact and not allowed to dry out during the time of removal from the pot to the ground. Mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch (pine straw is good) not piled up on the trunk. Water with 1 inch of water each time--place a pan under the trees and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. I would water every third day for the first month and then every 4th day for a month then once a week. If you get a good rain storm you can skip a watering. Do not fertilize the trees for the first year.
This should give the roots time to grow. You may have some die back of some foliage due to the stress of planting and the heat but they should be ok but I would not expect too much growth for the first year. The trees will be growing a good root system before then will show height growth. Good Luck!