GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



OF AMERICA 



THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF 

 THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PARK SUPERINTENDENTS. 



Devoted to Park Development and Recreational Facilities. 



NEW YO 



BOTANIC 



OAKObf 



\'oI. XIX. 



SEPTEMBER, 1915. 



No. y. 



Advantages of Fall Planting of Evergreens 



By H. E. Holden, New York. 



Many views have been e.xpressecl uii the imc side in 

 favor of Spring planting, and on the other in favor of 

 Fall planting. It can be said that by far the largest por- 

 tion of planting stock, both deciduons and evergreen, has 

 l)een set ont in the Spring, but this is doubtless more 

 through custom than ntherwise. It is natural that Spring" 

 shoidd bring wMth it a general desire to plant, nmre so 

 indeed than the Fall, when most people are looking for- 

 ward to the advent of Winter and a return to their city 

 homes. The fact remains, however, that witli the ap- 

 proach of Autumn, practically all plant forms have 

 reached their mature growth for the year. With the full 

 landscape beftire one, it is possible to form a clearer idea, 

 ;nid an easier solution of the existing needs for improve- 

 ment, here and there, than in the Spring, when the land- 

 scape is still generally bare and Nature is about to re- 

 turn to another season's growth. One has a longer sea- 

 son of thought and preparation in the Fall than is pos- 

 sible in the Spring. ( )ften. as in the past Spring, the 

 season advances so quickly from Winter into Summer 

 that not only the preparation for planting, our plans, etc., 

 but the planting itself must be hurriedly done. In the 

 .Spring, stock is going from a dormant state into a grow- 

 ing one, and unseasonably warm weather often occurring 

 in the height of the planting season is, not infrequentl}-, 

 the cause of very serious injury to new stock, both while 

 in transit and when received, due to the general hurrv to 

 get it planted to save it. This is, of course, in a measure 

 more true with decidtious stock than with the evergreen 

 species, the planting season for the latter being a little 

 longer. Nevertheless, in the general rush to plant up to 

 the last possible minute, entirely too much coniferous 

 stock, as well as many of the evergreen shrub s])ecies, is 

 planted in late Ma}- or early June, after the new growth 

 lias in many cases reached from an inch to three or four 

 inches in length. When this is so, every possible care, 

 such as frequent spraying, shading, etc., must be given, 

 in order to assist this new growth to harden up, other- 

 wise this new growth will quickly wilt and die back, gen- 

 erallv resulting in an unsightly specimen for a long time. 

 or more often in heavy losses. Too often such plants are 

 set out without any extra care, and in the ex]iectation that 

 the plants can take care of themselves. 



Here, then, with Fall planting at hand, we have an 

 easy solution of this difficulty. In a short .Spring, when 

 stock has well started before we have been able to com- 

 plete our planting or our ])lanting plans, why not put 

 oft further planting a few months, say, until .\ugU5t and 

 September for evergreens, and October and X^ovember 



for deciduous stock, in the meantime completing our 

 plans. By .\ugust all of the evergreen species have fin- 

 ished their growth, and all new growth is sufficiently 

 hardened. The ground is in its full warmth during 

 these two months, and even in October. These are the 

 three months, the two former preferably, when evergreen 

 planting can be arranged with the absolute certainty that 

 the results to be obtained will be at least at satisfactory 

 as in Spring planting, and the chances are that many who 

 may be somewhat averse to Fall planting will be agree- 

 ably surprised with the results of their labors at this 

 season. 



There is one, and only one possil.)le adverse condition 

 to be considered as against Fall planting of evergreens. 

 It of course sometimes occurs that we sufTer a severe 

 Spring drought, but we are perhaps more subject to such 

 drought during the very months when Fall planting of 

 evergreens can be done to best advantage. Where a 

 severe drought sh(3uld occur over an e.xtended period it 

 would be pure folly for anyone to suggest the advisability 

 of planting under such circumstances, unless one is pro- 

 vided with the necessary facilities to provide readilv the 

 necessary moisture, which natural conditions at the time 

 may lack. Where moisture as a result of favorable 

 weather conditions is ample during these months, it can 

 be safely said that this period is ideal for planting ever- 

 greens. Plants set out during this ])eriod will take root 

 quickly and become well established before the severe 

 Winter weather begins. The general warmth of the 

 ground, if provided with sufficient moisture, added to 

 the fact that an evergreen is then in its most healthy and 

 vigorous condition after completing its season's growth, 

 creates then a condition perhaps more conducive to safety 

 in the transplanting of evergreens than au}' other period 

 of the year. It might be added that the writer has seen 

 highly satisfactory plantings of evergreen types set out 

 up to the end of Xovember, and in several cases even in 

 December, with comparatively few losses. 



While it is to be regretted that a more general use of 

 the many and excellent species of Coniferous Evergreens 

 and Evergreen Shrubs has in many cases seemingly been 

 openly discouraged, and in others receiving only passive 

 encouragement, it can hardly be said that this apparent 

 disinterestedness is through any lack of appreciation of 

 the many merits and advantages of tliese species for gen- 

 eral ornamentation. 



The question has often been asked, however, bv those 

 directly and otherwi.se interested in such development: 

 bow the heavv anfl in manv cases excessive losses often 



